What's Best For Business
by Thoughts in Chaos
Summary: Carolyn Walker is a veteran diva of almost 10 years. Dolph Ziggler is a man in The Shield's cross-hairs. In an attempt to buy him a reprieve from their constant attacks she strikes a deal, but when things begin to change and lines are crossed, who will be left standing? Formerly titled Stockholm Syndrome. Dolph/OC/Ambrose
1. Chapter 1

_Can't you see I'm easily bothered by persistence  
One step from lashing out at you  
You want in to get under my skin  
And call yourself a friend  
I've got more friends like you  
What do I do? _

Someone tapped her shoulder twice in quick succession, forcing her to open her eyes and look up. With a scowl she pulled the small headphones off and waited to be addressed, wanting nothing more than to wipe the arrogant smirk that greeted her. It seemed a fitting thing to do, given the opening verse of Pantera's _Walk_ she had just heard.

"Time to go, Princess."

She ignored his offered hand, eliciting an amused snort from her handler as he took a couple of steps back. She stood up from her spot on the floor where she had spent the last twenty minutes folded in the corner blocking out the world with music and dusted herself off before carelessly tossing the MP3 player in her bag. He marched her out of the room and down the hall, then made their way up several flights of stairs until they came into view of two more men. The bigger of the two simply ignored her while the other offered a wolfish grin not unlike the first of the trio. She had agreed to the situation she was currently in, yes, but that didn't mean she had to like it.

God, she just hoped it was all worth it in the long run.

_Sierra  
Hotel  
India  
Echo  
Lima  
Delta_

_Shield._

The foreboding opening chords that announced the arrival of the WWE's self styled Hounds of Justice sounded through the arena. She hesitated, the reward for it was a firm finger poking her ribs prodding her forward, sandwiched in between Roman Reigns in front of her and Dean Ambrose bringing up the rear. She couldn't see whoever was in the ring that was their current target from behind Roman's broad back, but whoever it was the poor bastard had her sympathies. The Shield didn't do things by halves, and whoever was about to be on the receiving end of their particular brand of 'justice' wouldn't be moving by the end of it.

"Carolyn Walker does not look happy, King." Michael Cole commented as the small group descended towards ringside.

"Can't say I blame her," Jerry replied, "It was a heavy price to pay for getting involved."

"Call a whambulance you two," JBL said, his tone slightly annoyed, "They gave her a chance to walk away; hell, more than one! But she knew what she was doing and still chose martyr herself. Now she gets to live with the consequences."

When they finally reached ringside and Reigns vaulted over the barricade she got her first glimpse. The Miz anxiously tried to keep all three men in his sights, his head looking like it was on a swivel as the COO's three black clad attack dogs circled the ring. Carolyn refrained from cringing; she liked Mike, he didn't deserve to be beaten to a pulp simply because Helmsley was on an maniacal ego trip which the likes hadn't really been seen since Vince was on his last tyrannical spree. What had started out as a feud solely against Daniel Bryan had morphed into a vendetta against anyone who had an opposing opinion against what was supposedly best for business.

Seth was the first to slither under the rope, using himself as a distraction for his stable mates to jump the former WWE champion from behind. The attack was a flurry of violent movement; fists, elbows, knees and boots all found their marks. When Ambrose gave the signal to Reigns the big man let out his trademark roar as he and Rollins dragged Miz up into a vertical state. He caught the reluctant Diva from the corner of his eye, staring at anything but what was about to happen, and grinned viciously.

"Eyes on the ring, Princess."

Green and blue eyes bored into him with none of the desired effect of turning him into a pile of ash becoming reality. In fact the venomous glare only seemed to encourage him, holding the eye contact as Mike got drilled into the canvas with the triple power-bomb. Slowly Carolyn backed up until she hit the barricade, oblivious to the hands of eager fans reaching out and touching her. The abuse of power sickened her, angry that the amnesty from their savagery she had bought was afforded to only one other. But she knew better than to see it as a sure-fire guarantee, long years of experience left her knowing that Hunter's word couldn't be trusted for long. If -no- _when_ it came to that she'd make sure all bets were off, even if it meant sending whatever was left of her career down in a blaze of glory.

Dean, having too much fun tormenting the woman, climbed out of the ring and casually stalked the former Diva's champ down. There was something about seeing her so impotently angry yet seemingly so utterly unintimidated, it was kind of a turn on. Her contempt changed when her retreat was abruptly stopped, having backed straight into Roman. It wasn't fear he saw, it was more a self reprimand for not keeping an eye on the other two. He nodded at Reigns who simply turned and left, leaving her eyeing him off somewhat warily, wondering what he was up to. He offered a half bow while keeping his smirk of amused condescension thoroughly in place. "We're done here, Princess. After you."

"Call me that one more time," She glowered, having had more than enough of the unwanted moniker, "And you won't be able to taste anything for a week."

His laugh was low, almost predatory as he straightened up, "So fiery, I like that. _Princess_."

Suddenly her arm shot out, attempting to make good on her threat, only to be stopped a hair's breadth from his nose as he caught the incoming fist. She was absolutely furious now, and he loved it. With so many buttons to push Ambrose was going to make sure she stuck around for a while yet. She whirled from him with all the indignant ire she could muster and stalked up the ramp, the source of her torment swaggering only a few steps behind. Not far behind the curtain Triple H waited with Rollins and Reigns, but Carolyn merely offered him a scathing glare as she continued down the hall.

"Let her go, Ambrose," Helmsley said as Dean made a move to haul her back. "We have plans to discuss."

Part of him was loathe to give up the chase, wanting to find what else he could press to get a reaction out of her. He ultimately relented, knowing that he had all the time in the world to find each and every pet peeve, vexation and nerve. Oh the fun that was in his future...

* * *

The rental car pulled up in front of the hotel and Carolyn killed the engine, closing her eyes as she rested her forehead against the arm she had over the top of the wheel and sighed. After working for the company for eight years she had racked up a wealth of experiences, both good and bad. But out of getting speared, choke-slammed, power-bombed, put through a table and more, the prospect of putting up with that pretentious ass Ambrose could quite possibly take the cake. It was like he took some sort of pleasure in riling her up to heights she never dreamed of. _Jesus_, she thought, _I really do have biting off more than I can chew down to an art form_. Pulling the keys from the ignition and retrieving her bag from the back seat she headed for the hotel lobby, retrieving the key card from reception and headed towards the elevator. Within minutes she was safely on the other side of her hotel room door.

Changing the current playlist to something more mellow than what it had stopped on, she docked her ipod in a small portable player and turned it up just enough to be heard in the cramped bathroom. The random shuffle started up _Madness_ by Muse while she stared into the mirror; even the black mock military get up they had her wear in the name of unit cohesion irritated her, and she couldn't seem to get it off fast enough before stepping under the spray of the shower.

Once she was out and changed Carolyn turned off all but one bedside lamp, leaving the small room in a soft light and gazed out of the window. For some reason she wished it would start raining in a big old thunderstorm, it would be fitting for the miserable mood she was in right now. Her brooding was interrupted by a soft knock; she hoped it wasn't Ambrose, she wasn't sure if she could deal with him any further tonight. "Who is it?"

"It's me," a muted familiar voice replied. Crossing the room and opening the door she found Dolph Ziggler looking almost as defeated as she felt. "Can I come in?" She stood aside in answer, glancing each way down the hall before closing the door behind him. Last thing she needed was for this to get back to Helmsley.

Dolph stood in the middle of the room and began pacing, looking not quite himself without his usual cocky-but-endearing air about him. Without a word the veteran diva sat at on the edge of the bed and patiently waited for him to gather his thoughts. "You shouldn't have agreed to this," He finally said.

"What was I supposed to do, just sit back and watch while they continued running you down like a freight train?"

"If it meant you didn't get dropped into this mess, then yes. I _am_ capable of fighting my own battles, you know." He found himself irritated when she rolled her eyes in response, "What good did it actually do? For either of us? You're stuck trailing around after The Shield while our glorious COO goes about stacking the deck a little differently." His frustration was evident, not just as his current personal situation, but the fact that almost the entire roster was walking on eggshells, lest they become an example of what was 'best for business'. The tension was starting to get at all of them and tempers were beginning to run sort.

With a sigh she stood up, interrupting his attempt of wearing a path in the ugly carpet. When her arms slipped comfortingly around him he returned the gesture in kind, inhaling the subtle scent of jasmine and lavender that clung to her freshly cleaned skin. They had known each other for years, ever since he got his first stint on Raw as a golf caddy for Chavo Guerrero's Kerwin White phase back in 2005. While he was sent back to development several times, she had managed to not only hold onto a spot on the main roster but had attained a popular enough following the likes of Trish Stratus and Lita had enjoyed. As a result of an almost decade long career she knew the ins and outs better than almost anyone, learning to walk that fine line that could make a woman's career in such a male dominated industry tenuous. But by jumping in the ring on Smackdown last week and putting herself between him and the beating the Shield had been intent on delivering he couldn't help but wonder if she had made one reckless decision too many.

With a sigh his head came to rest at the crook of her neck, "How the hell are you so calm about all of this?"

"When one has stared across the ring from the Deadman after royally pissing him off, those three don't seem quite so bad. Being Tombstoned is quite an experience, though not one I'd want to repeat." She smiled as the attempt at humour made him chuckle a little despite himself. Her fingers ran through his hair, short but well manicured nails softly grazing along his scalp and down the back of his neck, causing him to shiver slightly and relax. She hadn't meant to upset him so much, but at the same time couldn't stand by any longer while he was brutalised just for stating a differing opinion than the current management. Slowly she kept repeating the action until he growled a little and his grip around her waist tightened.

He wasn't quite sure how to describe the relationship they had, it seemed to flux and change to whatever they needed it to be at the time. More than friends but less than true lovers, though to his knowledge she hadn't taken anyone into her bed besides him while on the road. She was content with the way things were, avoiding any real romantic commitment and giving him whatever space her required when he found himself in relationships that ultimately failed due to his demanding schedule that left him away from home most of the year. For his part he deeply cared about her, but wasn't sure if it was love or that male need to claim such a strong, independent spirit as hers solely for himself.

"I just... don't want you getting in over your head, 'Lyn," Dolph finally admitted as he looked into her face, always fascinated by distinct green rings in her eyes that separated pupils from dark blue irises."You know Hunter better than anyone, how far he's capable of digging the knife in. I don't want him twisting you into doing something you'd regret."

His features were set in deep concern, all she could offer in return was a small reassuring smile as she brushed a stray bleached blond lock back from his face. "He's going to have to twist pretty damn hard, I'm far from fragile." Before he could argue the point any further she kissed him, soft and soothing, a well used tactic that signified the end of talking which he had become accustomed to and was more than willing to accept. The Shield, Helmsley, and every other burden faded into the background as the world at large contracted until it was no bigger than the room they occupied.

Long after they had their fill of each other Dolph stared blankly at the ceiling through the darkness, fingers lightly stroking the arm that draped over his chest as Carolyn slept beside him, her warmth a comforting presence. He had witnessed just how far Ambrose had been pushing her, intending to push even harder still, and wondered if she really was as strong as she claimed to endure his mind games on such a regular basis. Clashing with the COO was one thing, Hunter was titled the Cerebral Assassin for a reason, but throw that on top of Dean's antagonistic tendencies? He could only trust she knew what she was doing...

* * *

_I'm aware this whole 'diva joins The Shield for reason X' is a well worn idea by now, but hey, what's one more. Hopefully I can squeeze a different twist on it, but mainly so long as I have fun writing it and you have fun reading it then it will have served its purpose... Plus I've wanted to involve Ziggler in something for a while now, so, yeah. _

_Onward to plot development!_


	2. Chapter 2

Ambrose sat on the opposite side of the locker room, his attention solely focused on Carolyn who was yet again in the corner with her eyes closed. The only sign of movement was the steady rise and fall of her shoulders in tandem with her breathing; other than that she was completely still. His head cocked to one side as he stared at a pink scar that ran along her right bicep, a trophy from having the bone broken years a go and had required steel pins to help it mend. Idly he wondered how it happened, the accident happening long before her career had started.

He stretched in his chair and her eyes snapped open, the icy glare causing him to offer the same antagonising smirk as last time and pretended to shiver as if the temperature had suddenly dropped, but otherwise said nothing. They stared each other down for a moment longer before she grew bored of the game and went back to staring at the inside of her eyelids. He wanted to rile her up and see just how far he could push before she snapped, but the COO's orders was for him to keep himself in check. Dean could still push, but not as hard as he wanted to. Helmsley had plans but it wouldn't be easy to get Walker to stumble blindly into them.

Carolyn could feel his eyes on her, he had been staring almost the entire time they had been in here. He hadn't said a word yet, leaving her to wonder what was working in that mind of his. The urge to let her temper loose was strong, but she had already let it get the best of her and it left her looking like the one thing she couldn't stand; weak. She found she had underestimated the effect a personality like Dean would have on her own. In the early hours before Dolph had left for his own room she had come close to confessing as much but thought the better of it. He had enough of his own worries to deal with, she didn't want to add any more to it when she already knew he was against this idea from the beginning. For her own sake she had to try her best to keep calm, no matter what Dean tried for a reaction.

With nothing better to do Ambrose continued with his silent observations. She was calmer than last night and he was curious to know why. There was no chance in hell she had simply rolled over and was ready accept whatever he said so quickly, Carolyn Walker simply wasn't built that way. What had it been about Ziggler that led her into essentially sacrificing her professional freedom? He'd heard the rumours of course, that the pair had this weird on again/off again relationship, but the actual evidence for something like that was scarce on the ground. They were close, yes, but were they really _that_ close? He wanted to know, to pry away the formidable emotional armour that protected her personal side and expose every last secret and vulnerability that hid beneath it.

His train of thought was interrupted when Rollins came in, "Show time." When Carolyn didn't move he looked over at Ambrose who simply shrugged, and nudged her outstretched boot with his own.

Dean snorted in amusement as Seth received the same frosty stare that he was graced with minutes before. "Don't worry, Princess, it's only for Hunter's little open mic night." Again he offered his hand in a move of mock chivalry and again he was refused, but managed to catch the flash of annoyance before she quickly stomped it out. _So now the real game begins_, he thought, _Try all you want, I will crack open that shell of yours_.

The three of them marched down the hall towards the ring with Carolyn again finding herself caught in the middle. It was starting to feel like she was a prisoner and The Shield her wardens as Roman appeared and bought up the rear as the approached the curtain. It was mere minutes before the taping of Smackdown was due to start and already the rest of the locker room had been marched out on top of the stage to await Helmsley's appearance. As they passed through the path that cleared through the centre of the milling wrestlers she chanced a glimpse to her left and saw Dolph standing next to the roster's resident giant. Their eyes met for a brief second before she passed him and continued following Rollins down to ringside.

Discrete as it was Ambrose still noticed it and smirked in Ziggler's direction, unable to help himself from mocking the other man. "It's what's best for business, especially yours." He had said it loud enough for Carolyn to hear, a test to see if she'd rise to the bait. She tensed a little, spine straitening and shoulders squared, but that was about the extent of it. He couldn't help but be a little disappointed that he didn't get more than that, she seemed to have adjusted faster than he thought she'd be capable of.

When they finally reached the end of the ramp Rollins and Reigns organised themselves to form a line between the ring and anyone who might get ideas. When it was clear Carolyn had no intention on playing soldier with the rest of them Dean seized her wrist and stopped the Diva in her tracks. She tested his grip as once more they stared each other down, finding him adjusting and applying the necessary pressure to keep her there. The calls from people in the front rows to swing at him again was hard thing not to act on but it hadn't worked out the last time she tried it, so she doubted it would succeed this time either. Her combative stance relaxed as again she was the first to lower her gaze and slowly Ambrose released his hold. She moved to stand on his right but instead of falling in line Carolyn chose to perch on the padded barricade, one leg crossing over the other as the fans crowded around behind her and offered him a smirk of her own.

Dean's face darkened, she was challenging his authority. If he went after her it was a sign of weakness on his part, if he left her there it could give the impression she could walk all over them, and _nobody_ walked all over The Shield. Just as he was about to make a decision on what to do, the familiar gravelly voice of Motörhead's Lemmy Kilmister pronounced the arrival of Triple H.

The COO looked around at the assembled wrestlers before striding toward the ring, Brad Maddox and Vickie Guerrero flanked him on either side. When he reached the line The Shield had created he motioned for the two general managers to continue on when he paused. Taking a few steps towards the barricade, stopping a couple of feet away from where Carolyn sat surrounded by a supportive rabble, looking quite satisfied with herself and her little act of defiance. "Get down. Now." Carolyn simply held his gaze steady, her nonchalant body language answering for her.

_Nope_.

"If you don't get in line now, things will start looking very bad very quickly."

His voice was quiet but unmistakable, carrying a dangerous edge and the unspoken threat it carried she knew all too well. That fine line stretched out before her again as it had done countless times forcing her to make a choice; continued defiance just to stick it to both Helmsley and The Shield in her own little way, or Dolph's career welfare. In reality it was a no brainer and they both knew it. Carolyn slowly slid from her perch until boots hit the floor much to the disappointment of those at her back, both on top of the stage and in the stands. Satisfied for now Hunter climbed into the ring and the show began in earnest, but he had something in store to deter any of her future ideas of insubordination.

Dolph looked around as Helmsley asked for the roster to come forward to ask him whatever was on their minds without repercussions. Everyone was hesitant at first, convinced it was a trap laid merely so he could make further examples out of those who didn't tow his current idea of the company line. Like firing them like he had Cody Rhodes simply for losing a match. To his right on the other side he eyed Mike and saw the other man's fists clench, but decide that discretion was the better part of valour. He couldn't blame Miz, not after the way he had his ass handed to him last night. Next to him the Big Show was tense, week after week of emotional torment and manipulation inflicted on him by both Hunter and Stephanie was wearing him down. He could only guess at how much further he could be pushed until the big man finally snapped.

Kofi was one who had the stones to step up first and speak his mind, but just as he was about to get an answer Heath Slater interrupted, turning the attention towards Show and ultimately landed 3MB in a handicap match with the giant. _Idiot_. At least someone got to thoroughly work out their frustrations tonight. Ryback was the next one up with his contrivance, ending up with them both in a match together. Good, he didn't care if Ryback was bigger and stronger, Dolph was faster and when it came down to sheer talent he could wrestle rings around the man blindfolded. So long as they got the even slate the COO had just promised, of course. When no-one else came forward, Hunter nodded at Vickie and Brad, signalling he wanted them out of the ring, but didn't leave himself. Ziggler didn't like it, he was up to something.

"Now that I've answered all your concerns, I'd like to address one of my own." Helmsley's attention shifted from the stage to the sole Diva at ringside looking clearly disinterested by the proceedings and was instead focused on her nails. "Carolyn Walker, if you would be so kind as to come into the ring."

Her brow cocked sceptically as she looked up, the honeyed tone sending up red flags. There was no doubt she was in trouble, the real question she had was just how deep in it had she stood this time. He repeated himself at her hesitation with friendly coaxing words while he gestured, pointing at the mat like he wanted a dog to obey the command of 'come'. Her eye twitched, there was no way that it wasn't just her imagination at work; it was a subtle display of the position she was in and the power he held over her head. With no real options open she complied, though reluctantly so.

"Carolyn, how long have we known each other?" He didn't wait for an answer, he would've been lucky if he got one anyway. She was on edge now, the gears in her head turning to try and figure out what the game was. "For eight years, as defiant as you have a tendency to be, you've always done what's best for business when it counted. So forgive me if I can't see it, but just how is you disrupting the coherence of The Shield doing anything right by the business?"

"I could ask you something similar, like how do you expect to earn money, or respect, if you let those three overgrown gorillas brutalise everyone for simply having an opinion? It's a little something called the First Amendment; just because you don't like what someone has to say doesn't mean you get to act like an elitist taint goblin and make examples out of them." The crowd cheered and jeered, agreeing with the obvious point, then a quick round of chants for the on-the-fly insult directed at the COO burst into life. Up on stage some snickered while others looked at the floor with shaking shoulders at the clear and unamused look on Helmsley's face.

"You know, I had hoped that this could be a mature discussion between... old friends," Hunter began, then heaved a long suffering sigh. "But once again your mouth works faster than that brain of yours. You are right about making examples and earning respect to some degree though." He started to circle as she stood in the middle of the ring, watching as Walker turned with him until her back was turned on the entire assemble roster. "You see, the thing that makes The Shield so good at what they do is they're more than simply a group of individuals thrown together. They're an _example_ of just what can be accomplished when working as true unit. When you made the bargain last week you agreed to become part of that unit. So I don't know about Ambrose, Reigns and Rollins, but I think a bit of initiation is in order so you learn to _respect_ how things work."

"Initiation? Like what, some sort of idiotic fraternity prank?"

"Not quite what I had in mind." He glanced over her shoulder, encouraging her to about face.

_Oh..._

Carolyn had barely finished turning around when Roman charged, taking her off her feet and folding her in half as she all but ate the vicious spear. The momentum sent her from almost one side of the ring to the other, her lungs desperately gasping for the air that had been so violently knocked out of them. She didn't move, couldn't move, reduced to curling up under the far turn-buckle in a coughing fit. Dimly she was aware of movement outside the ring, then of Helmsley barking out orders causing it to stop. When she lifted her head she saw the pained expression of the ring side doctor, but had no time to dwell on it as a strong hand encircled an ankle. Roman towered above her and began dragging her back to the centre of the canvas. Trying to ignore the pain alight in her chest she lashed out with her free foot while making a grab for the bottom rope, only to have it slip just out of reach. For some random reason she thought of her comment last night about the Undertaker and being on the receiving end of a Tombstone, quickly coming to the conclusion that it had been so very, _very_ wrong. The Shield were far worse than the Deadman ever could have been.

It was common knowledge that Carolyn Walker wasn't afraid to take the occasional harsh bump or a chance that may end up having her handed to her if she got the short end of the stick, but this was something else entirely. This was more than a one off finisher or signature move; it was a dissection as well as a message. Ambrose was having entirely to much fun, his attention focused more to see if anyone would play the intervening hero, while Roman simply looked like a predator playing with his catch. Seth for his part simply lounged in the corner looking bored and aloof, like the whole spectacle was beneath him. Triple H merely stood there with arms crossed against his broad chest and disappointment written all over his face, like he was reluctantly disciplining a wayward child.

The shocked anger on stage was almost palpable. Dolph wanted to move, to tear into each and every one of them with wild abandon, but when he started for the ring Wight grabbed his arm. The same raging conflict was reflected back at him until the giant looked down at his feet. "If you go down now it'll just get a lot worse. For the both of you."

Dolph didn't want to hear it, no matter how much truth the statement carried. He seemed to shake with the tension in his balled fists, nails leaving dark crescents in closed palms when he caught Dean leering at him, clearly goading him to do _something_. He even went so far to sit on the middle rope, blatantly inviting him to come on down. When he didn't get the desired reaction he shook his head as if he had missed the world's best opportunity. He turned to Reigns, who was holding their limp initiate by the same bicep that had the scar running along it and sighed before making a quick cutting gesture with his hand.

Everything hurt and she couldn't even stand on her own, but somehow Carolyn had been dragged to her feet. Thick arms had wrapped around her waist and the world span suddenly before stopping, finding herself a good six feet higher than she should be. Blind instinct drove her to grab at whatever she could to keep herself steady atop Roman's massive shoulders in a vain attempt to stop the fall that was coming, feeling as his fingers dug into her thighs and brought her down to earth with a wicked power-bomb.

"That's enough."

The Shield stepped aside as the COO inspected Roman's handiwork, kneeling down beside the Diva's prone form. Reaching out he rolled her head from one side to the other, noting she was, unsurprisingly, out cold. It was a good start to the plan, but there was still a way to go before he could get her to give up this ridiculous parley for Ziggler and, more importantly, _believe_ in The Shield.


	3. Chapter 3

Carolyn was curled up into as a small of a ball as her bruised and beaten body would allow, the occasional tremor rippling through her as she lay on the bed in the first aid station. It wasn't the first time she had taken a wallop from a Superstar, but most had been quick and efficient about it, not drawing it out in some humiliating display. Her head pounded as if there was a construction crew in there equipped only with jack-hammers but by some minor miracle -perhaps it was more Murphy's Law- she had avoided a concussion; or any serious damage for that matter. If she _had_ ended up with a concussion there was a good chance she would have been taken to whatever hospital was the most convenient right now, instead of being trapped in a room the size of a shoebox with an unwanted vigil by two of her new 'team mates' outside. So she had been a little uppity about her whole position in this fiasco, had it really required that much of a brutal response? Did Hunter really have that much of a stranglehold over everyone else that no-one had so much as moved a foot as Reigns tossed her about like a rag doll?

Ugh, it hurt to even think. She'd ask the doc for painkillers, but Roman had run the man off before he had even got so much as a pill in her.

She tried to move but sharp pain discouraged the idea, much to her frustration. With nothing else to do she watched the silent monitor and frowned. Dolph was currently in the ring with Ryback and he was _angry_. Gone was any trace of his usual cocky, in control 'I'm better than you' attitude, right now he was working off pure emotion. Wrestling angry was a bad idea; it made you sloppy, your opponent's job easier by manipulating your emotions and open you up into making mistakes. Something that Ryback had been taking full advantage of. Her first thought was to go down there and calm him down, to show him she was going to be ok. A little worse for wear right now, sure, but if she could just get up things wouldn't look so bad. _Suck it up... And get your ass off this bed._

_Hey, Tylenol._

Sitting on the counter on the opposite side of the of the room sat a small plastic bottle. All the muscles along her spine and abdominals screamed in protest at excessive movement, pleading with her brain to just lay back down and not move for the next fortnight. It took a minute, but she finally managed to sit up. Now if she could make the transition to actually stand she'd be on a roll.

Just outside Roman and Seth stood on either side of the door to the trainer's room, people either avoiding them completely by finding a different way around or giving them a very wide berth. Seth had a cap pulled down over his eyes as he leaned against the wall, appearing as if he could be having a moment of shut eye. Roman was standing with his feet set shoulder width apart and arms folded across his chest, his expression as stoic as statue. His eyes darted at the closed door when he heard something beyond it, hand reaching for the handle when Rollins stopped him. Pushing his cap up Seth casually picked up an unopened bottle of water from an equipment trunk next to him and slipped inside the trainer's station.

Her back was to him, too busy focusing getting the lid off the bottle of paracetamol to notice his entry. In truth Roman had gone easy executing the 'initiation', if he hadn't there was no way she'd be upright at all right now. Besides, it would've been counter-productive if he had gone all balls to the wall. They wanted to get her undivided attention, not take her out of the game. Judging by the reaction when he cleared his throat it seemed to have worked, red and white capsules spilling everywhere at her startled response. She spun around and faced him, too fast for her own comfort if the grimace she couldn't hide was any indication. He kept his silence, cracking open the lid then took a mouthful before placing the plastic bottle on the bench as if he were in slow motion and backed off.

The fist that held the now half empty bottle of Tylenol shook involuntary, its contents rattling against the white plastic. Her eyes darted from him, the water, the pills she had managed to shake into her hand and back on Rollins. Why the hell was he so damn calm? There had to be an angle here, she just couldn't see it yet. She threw the pills down and swallowed them dry despite the water he had left on the counter and waited. Seth simply shrugged like he didn't care one way or the other. Slowly they inched around the tiny room and Rollins just continued his silent watch, leaning back on the rear counter until Carolyn had finally reached the door.

"I wouldn't go out there if I were you."

What she thought of his advice came in the form of one of the dirtiest looks he had ever gotten before she turned the handle and pulled the door open. However, the head of steam she had been building up quickly cooled when she came face to chest with the one responsible for her even being in here to begin with and slammed the door as dictated by impulse. _Trapped, like a rat in a cage. _

_Brilliant_.

"What do you want from me?"

Her voice was barely above whisper and Seth had to strain to hear it. "Just for you to work with us, like you agreed to do. Nothing more. Nothing less." He finally moved, taking a few steps closer but not enough to risk invading personal space. "Believe it or not, we would have preferred if it hadn't come to this." He stated softly, almost as if he actually regretted what happened.

"Somehow I find that hard to believe," Carolyn replied snidely.

Seth picked up the water to have another drink and simply continued in that calm demeanour he had owned since he came in. "How so? Have we ever done anything like that to any of the other divas the entire time The Shield has been here? Have we so much as laid a finger on them?"

She lowered her head and squeezed her eyes shut while pinching the bridge of her nose, wishing the analgesic would hurry up and kick in. She must be hurt more than she realised; her brain must've been rattled, because on some level he was starting to make sense.

Wait... what if _this_ was the trap?

Carolyn chuckled, then stopped and winced, fingers gently rubbing at a spot under ribs. "Clever boy... I'll admit it, Rollins, you're good. You almost had me going. But I think I have this game sorted."

"Oh?" He merely looked mildly curious, not in the least offended by her doubts.

"Ambrose, the pretentious ass he is, has the job of trying to pick me apart up here," Carolyn began, a forefinger resting against her temple, "Reigns plays the roll of the brute, trying to cow me into submission with physicality." Leaning over she plucked the bottle from his hands, finding no resistance as she did so. "And you... you're the guy I'm supposed to identify with as the supposedly sympathetic party. The hypothetical port in a storm so to speak." She took a drink then pressed it back against his chest, "Nice try, though you're to have do better than that."

Rollins had to hand it to her; Carolyn was a tough one to crack. But the best lies always held an element of truth, it's what made them so convincing. "Interesting theory," He mused as he straightened up, crossed the room and opened the door. "Roman, we need a word with you."

Primal instinct made her back up despite her bravado, the sight of Reigns was the equivalent of 'fire is hot'. He had burned her tonight, and it was lesson she wasn't going to forget in a hurry. He too was calm, but it was unsettling; he didn't give off that same relaxed, nonchalant air that Seth did. It was more as if Roman was waiting for something.

"I think you need to explain the severity of the situation Miss Walker has found herself in as of tonight."

Reigns moved from his spot and Carolyn couldn't help but think of at least half a dozen references to stalking predators. She couldn't go around him and sure as hell couldn't go through him, her only option was to retreat until he had her backed into a corner. Thick, tattooed arms came to rest on the bench tops either side of her, he hovered so close that she had no choice but to hold the focus of dark, intense eyes. He leaned in to her right, close enough so the warm exhale of his breath tickled her ear.

There was an unintelligible murmur from where Seth stood before the bigger man began to back away, finding she had gone several shades paler. His features finally changed for the first time, grinning coldly at her. "I should make one thing clear to you, Carolyn. There is no 'sympathetic party' here. I'm merely suggesting what you need to do to avoid more of the same of what happened here tonight. The sooner you get on the same page the better it will be." Turning his attention to Reigns, Seth jerked his head towards the door, "Take her back to the locker room until the show is over. They way Ryback is going they're going to need the room afterwards."

* * *

"You were right," Ambrose said, "She didn't bite, though from what Rollins said she was having second guesses of a moment or two."

Helmsley placed a report he had been sent neatly on the desk in front of him then leaned back into the cushioned office chair. The show was over and the majority of the wrestlers had gone back to their hotels, the only people around being technicians and road crew packing up the equipment that made up the WWE machine. "I would have been surprised if she had taken the bait so easily. Still, the fact that she had doubts, no matter how temporary, is a good step in the right direction." Picking up a file that was next to the report he just put down Hunter handed it to Dean.

"What's this?" He asked, opening it up and finding travel schedules, flight times, show dates and everything else associated with a lifestyle on the road. It looked practically identical to his own.

"Walker's new travel itinerary. The more time she spends around The Shield the more isolated she'll become," the COO answered, "From now on she travels with you, has appearances with you-"

"Shares hotel rooms with me," Ambrose added with an amused smirk.

Hunter simply shrugged, "I can arrange that too, if you want." He paused, watching Ambrose for a reaction as he mulled the idea over. "Do you want that, Mister Ambrose?"

Dean's index finger flicked the corner of the file back and forth absently while he thought over what he was just offered. He had said it as a joke, but now that the boss had voiced it as an actual possibility... It could make breaking down her guard so much easier. "I would love some one on one time with our new recruit, boss. Getting to know who you work with is best for business, after all."

"Indeed it is." Helmsley grinned as he could almost see the gears turning in the other man's mind. "Now if you could do me a favour. Here's the hotel she's staying at along her room number. Carolyn should get that as soon as possible, don't you agree?"

Dean glimpsed at the details that had been scribbled out before pocketing the piece of paper. Giving Hunter a mock salute he left, he had a delivery to make after all.

* * *

A repeat of _American Dad_ played quietly on the nearby television with Stan Smith inevitably taking his problem with the episode's main plot to his usual extremes, but neither of the room's two occupants were paying a lot of attention to it. Carolyn lay on her side, head resting on top of Dolph's left arm, his warmth pressed against her back and right arm circled loosely around her waist. Neither were really in the mood for talking -let alone anything else- as muscles and joints ached. Dolph had apologised profusely several times over for his inaction, his guilt still present despite her best efforts to allay it. As far as things had gone, tonight hadn't been a good one for either wrestler. The sooner it was over and done with, the better.

She shifted a little with Dolph adjusting as he needed to, feeling the rise and fall of her flat stomach as she sighed. He could tell she was distracted by something, though had no idea of what. When he had inquired about it Carolyn insisted it was nothing. Why she was blatantly lying to him Dolph didn't know, but he had learned long a go that if she didn't want to discuss something, she wouldn't. All he could do was wait until she felt like talking about it... _if_ she wanted to talk about it at all.

Carolyn grumbled as someone knocked on the door, not wanting to move out of the safe comfort she had finally found herself in with Ziggler lazily tightening his hold on the diva. If she ignored it, perhaps whoever it was would get the hint and leave. The rapping came a second time and still she lay there, willing them to go away.

"I know you're in there, Carolyn, and I'm not going anywhere," The muffled voice immediately making her tense, "Open the door, I have present for you."

"What the hell does he want now?"

"Let me answer it," Dolph said quietly. He was eager to get his hands on Ambrose; not only for the events that opened Smackdown, but for the interference he had played during his match tonight. At first he thought he could've used it as a loophole to get Carolyn out of the disaster she had gotten herself into, but Vickie had shut that idea down just as quick. Dean hadn't actually laid a finger in him, so technically he had done nothing to violate the terms of the deal. Her reply was a sympathetic smile but she got up all the same, straightening the baby blue cotton cami and shorts she wore along the way

"Nice outfit," Dean commented when she opened the door, blatantly giving her the once over.

She simply rolled her eyes. "Do you want something, or are you just here to make a dick of yourself?"

"Just dropping something off," He replied, slipping past into the room uninvited and almost immediately coming nose to nose with Dolph. "Ohhh, I see I've interrupted something. Guess that's why you took so long."

"Yeah, you have," She snapped back, pointing at the television. "It's called American Dad."

"Riiight." Clearly he was unconvinced, but entertained none the less. "What's the matter, Dolph? You look upset."

"Give me a reason," Ziggler growled in response, just itching for any excuse to put Ambrose in his place. "Just one."

"Your girlfriend's new travel plans," Dean answered, casually slapping the file against the other man's chest, "Starting next Monday she's my new roomie."

"What?!" Carolyn inserted herself between the two before Dolph attempted to remove Dean's head from his shoulders and took the paperwork. Flipping through the pages she found everything meticulously planned out. "He can't dictate which damn hotel I stay at, _or_ who I do or do not share my damn room with!"

"Our benevolent COO thought it would do you some good," Ambrose replied, "Unless you already forgot what Roman said earlier."

"Get out."

"I guess you do remember."

"_Get_. _Out_."

"Alright, alright, I'm going." He held his hands in the air and backed off towards the door, "Enjoy the rest of your evening with your knight, Princess. See you next week." The file came flying at him, hitting the closing oak and spilling all over the floor.

The two stood in silence, the long minutes stretching out before Dolph broke the spell. "What did Roman say?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

His hands found her shoulders, feeling the tremor that ran through her frame. "Tell me."

"No."

She was buckling, he could hear it. It had taken The Shield only two nights but already they were cracking one of, if not the most, strongest women he had ever met. "Please."

"Dolph..."

His arms folded around her, pulling her against him. Her head came to rest on his chest, his hands brushing the hair from her face and gently stroked her spine. He felt her take her breath only to have it exhaled in a shudder. A calloused thumb brushed against the smoothness of her cheek, coming away damp. Christ... he had _never_ seen her cry before. "Carol..."

She finally answered, unable to keep the crumbling walls up any longer. "To put it bluntly; If I don't fall in line, they'll kill what's left of my career."

* * *

_Apologies if anyone got several alert messages for this chapter, the interweb deities thought it would be fun to play some shenanigans when I updated._


	4. Chapter 4

Ambrose was watching the flow of people come and go through the hotel lobby from a quiet place in the corner. He looked relaxed and no-one had paid any attention to him for the past hour which was they way he wanted it while he waited. Carolyn had yet to arrive, and he was curious to know if she would actually stick to the plan or if her defiance would get the best of her and book her own room. Twenty minutes later the automatic doors opened and she entered the lobby, sliding her headphones down around her neck as she approached the reception desk.

He watched the exchange between the diva and the young man working behind the desk to check in. Dean noticed as she hesitated a moment when he asked a question, but seemed to think the better of the idea and handed over sufficient ID so she could claim the key-card that was waiting for her. His eyes followed her as she cross the floor in the direction of the elevators and entered the first one to open. Dean leaned back in the chair, deciding to let her have some time alone before heading up himself. Besides, he was waiting on another to arrive.

As if on command AJ Lee appeared, causing Ambrose to smirk to himself. Standing up he crossed the lobby with long strides, intercepting the pint sized Diva's champion before she had a chance to check in...

The elevator came to a stop on the fourth floor and she found the room about half way down the hall. Reluctance gripped her momentarily, wondering if Ambrose was already here. There was little she could do about it in any event, so taking a deep breath she swiped the card and entered the pin. The room was still, no sign that anyone else was inside but she did notice a bag at the end of one of the beds. At least the little things were going her way for now. Pulling her case onto the nearest bed she opened it up and picked out her gear for the gym, then headed in the bathroom to quickly change. There was a few hours before she was due at the arena and a light cardio session sounded like just the thing to help her focus for the night ahead. With towel in hand she left and headed for the nearest treadmill.

The hotel's gym was fairly quiet for a mid morning, so Carolyn had her pick of the machines and started off at a steady pace. She had been at it for ten minutes when the machine next to her started up and she turned to find Kaitlyn quickly matching and keeping pace with her own rhythm. She offered the younger woman a quick smile to acknowledge her presence, then continued to focus on her stationary run.

"How are you holding up?" Kaitlyn said after a few minutes.

"Surviving."

"You gonna be ok?"

"I can get through this. Not the first time I've had drama over the years," She replied, wondering what sudden curiosity about her welfare was about. While Carolyn didn't know Kaitlyn well, she never had any reason to have an issue with her either.

"That's one way to look at it." The 'Hybrid Diva' took a quick look at the veteran, wondering how the former champ could pass off the beating she had taken as just 'drama'. "You hear about who Dolph has to face tonight?"

"No, but I have a feeling you're going to enlighten me."

"Hunter has him going up against that new guy, Bray Wyatt."

_What good did it actually do? For either of us? You're stuck trailing around after The Shield while our glorious COO goes about stacking the deck a little differently._

She pushed the memory aside, shaking off the questions Dolph had asked seven mere days a go. "If you've got a point to make, Kaitlyn, then make it."

Before she could open her mouth a bottle of cold water appeared on top of the treadmill Carolyn was using, Dean greeting her with that smug grin that seemed to be permanently affixed to his face. It morphed to cold intimidation as he eyed off the second woman and she quickly got the hint and promptly made herself scarce. Carolyn for her part barely acknowledged his presence as she stared straight ahead of her, "Something you want, Ambrose?"

"Not right now, Princess," He replied, "Just making sure you don't wear yourself out. You have a big night tonight."

"I don't need a babysitter," She snapped, "And don't worry, your pet gorilla got the message through clear enough."

"That's good to hear, because it would be a shame to see a woman as beautiful as you in such a mess."

She slowed down to a walk before stopping completely. Plucking the towel that hung over one of the treadmill's bars she patted the sheen of sweat from her face and neck and he held out the cold bottle, only to have her purposely ignore it. "You're an asshole." Throwing the towel at him she stormed off but Ambrose was right behind her, slipping into the elevator just as the doors started closing. Her back against the right side wall she crossed her arms and tried to ignore his existence entirely.

Dean pushed the number for their floor, then moved so he was standing directly in her line of sight,"Come on, Princess, I'm not so bad once you get to know me. I just don't understand all this trouble for someone like Dolph, who didn't even try to come to your rescue last week. What could you possibly see in a man like that?" She glared at him in a mix of frustration and disgust and again it only served to further encourage him. "I'm serious. I don't know about Ziggler, but I think you're definitely be worth getting my ass handed to me if I was in his place."

The second he reached out and brushed her cheek Ambrose found himself shoved forcefully back, slamming against the opposite wall. "Touch me like that again and I'll fucking castrate you, consequences be damned."

The door opened and she stormed out as he simply chuckled in that low predatory tone again, taking his time strolling down the hall. The 'Radiant Resistance' had certainly earned her title, and despite his initial desire to simply mess with her head he began to feel the urge to chase her further than that, to own that fire she possessed all for himself. To hell with it if the idea wasn't part of Helmsley's plan; besides, if he could somehow bind her to him it could make the transition of getting her on their side a lot easier.

* * *

Kaitlyn stood in the centre of the ring, encouraging the crowd to be more vocal while she waited for her mystery opponent. It was unusual, but she was positive that whoever it was she could beat them.

_Sierra  
Hotel  
India  
Echo  
Lima  
Delta_

_Shield_.

Her confidence became visibly rattled as Carolyn descended through the masses with Roman and Seth leading the way while Dean bought up the rear. Reigns and Rollins went over the barricade first and began circling the far side of the ring as Carolyn came to a stop and faced Ambrose. "I don't need your intimidation tactics, so get them to back off. Now."

"This is how it's done, Princess, now and always," He replied, "Welcome to The Shield."

She wanted to scream and argue the point but knew that would be a hopeless endeavour. With a growl she slipped over the barrier and climbed the stairs, then looked from her surprised opponent to Dean, who simply waved condescendingly. Shaking her head she grabbed the top rope and vaulted over it, landing on her feet like a cat. She started to close the world at large out, reducing it to nothing more than what existed in the ring. The bell rang loud and clear.

Game on.

She charged across the ring with a ferocity that could barely be contained, Kaitlyn becoming the unlucky recipient of all the stress and frustrations that had already built up from having spent the entire afternoon in Dean's antagonising company, almost getting herself disqualified within the opening minute. Scott Armstrong had to insert himself between the two women, giving Carolyn a severe warning.

"How do you think this will play out, John?" Cole asked the colour commentator.

"What are you, Michael, blind?" He replied, "Kaitlyn's one hell of a spitfire, but Carolyn is tough as nails and twice as sharp, not to mention she's been dominant over the Divas division for _eight years_. None of the other Divas have been here anywhere near that long. Now that she's with The Shield? It's like she was born to be a part of it."

"How can you even think that?" Jerry chimed in, "Especially after what happened on Smackdown?"

"I'm not saying I condone what happened at all," He answered, dismissing the indignation from the Hall of Famer, "But hell, King, just look; we haven't seen this kind of fight from her for a good long while. We haven't even seen her compete in over a month! Whether you agree with it or not, ultimately it was The Shield who woke that fire up again."

"I also remember the havoc she used to wreak, and as I recall it wasn't a pretty sight."

"This isn't ballet, Cole. If the other Divas can't handle stiff competition, then they're in the wrong business."

His point was emphasised as Walker ducked an attempted clothesline from her opponent and retaliated with a standing drop kick before she started sadistically working various joints for a possible submission down the line. Kaitlyn tried desperately to create some space, landing a few blows of her own, but the three sharks that were circling the apron were a constant misdirection of her attention. They didn't have to physically interfere, their presence alone was enough to intimidate anyone. By letting herself get distracted one to many times Kaitlyn ended up eating a vicious clothesline, knocking her solidly down to the mat. Ignoring the referee's admonishment to release the fistful of two toned hair she had a hold of, Carolyn instead used it to force the other woman back to a vertical base. Forcing her to bend over Walker hooked her arms securely behind her back and heaved her up, executing a crushing tiger driver.

"Kaitlyn's just been Thunderstruck!" Layfield exclaimed, " Stick a fork in it, Michael, because this one is done!"

Carolyn observed the prone form of her opponent and the ref hovering over her, making sure that Kaitlyn hadn't suffered any serious injuries. Walker may have won, but she didn't feel like a winner. She hadn't beaten down anyone that severely in years. Suddenly she felt an overwhelming urge to get out of that ring and turned to back out, only to find her path impeded.

"You need to finish it," Dean said.

"Are you blind?" She retorted, pointing back at her defeated competition, "The match is over."

"No, I think you're the one that's blind," Ambrose replied, "Or haven't you noticed lately that you keep getting passed over time and again for title shots in favour of all these young little fitness and glamour models that have come to play at wrestler?" He saw the doubt flicker for an instant, the chased away as she shook her head. "How many more times are you willing to stand by and let it happen? All these no talent airheads getting more and more of the spotlight while you, who has more experience and passion for this than all of them put together are constantly put on the back burner?" She had her sole focus on Kaitlyn now and he could tell on some level he was starting to break through and relentlessly he chased it. "How is that fair, Princess? How is that _justice_?"

"Out of all the injustice I've seen in this company, you have suffered the longest by far." Reaching behind him his hand closed around the cool steel of a folded chair that Rollins passed to him. Ambrose in turn pressed it into her hands, urging her to take the shot. Dean's voice was in her ear with the manic charisma and fervour of a preacher, threatening to pull her under. Slowly she stalked her fallen prey and her grip tightened around the weapon, Roman chasing off the protesting official when he tried to intervene."You know I'm right, Carolyn," His voice was low but loaded with so much intensity it made her shiver. "This. Is. Justice."

Kaitlyn came out of her daze finding Carolyn towering over her with chair in hand. She could see the conflict of resentment and honour warring for control and had no idea which one would win out. Quick seconds felt like an eternity before the chair clattered harmlessly against the canvas. "I'm not your damn puppet, Ambrose."

He watched her retreat up the ramp and disappear under the Titantron, not entirely disappointed with the evening's events. As The Shield left the ring he was already replaying the scene over in his mind, analysing what he had said and her reactions to it, looking for tiny betraying tells in her body language that could give him any advantage he could use. He was confident he could crack her open, all he needed was time.

And thanks to Helmsley, he had all the time in the world...

* * *

_Apologies if this seems a little lacklustre compared to the previous chapters. It's been a while since I tried to write a match and usually when I do there's little to no commentary dialogue involved._

_Feedback would be awesome, it makes me feel loved._


	5. Chapter 5

It was late as Carolyn lay on the bed and scrolled through her Twitter feed reading fan responses from her match earlier. Some were rather amusing, some thinking she had turned traitor and others supportive of her situation. As she was about to navigate away she started to get a chain of direct messages, the handle of the sender identifying them as a new diva that had made her debut on Smackdown only a few months before. She vaguely recalled who the girl was virtually a walking billboard for the cyberpunk aesthetic but had barely seen her, and even then only in passing, let alone had a conversation with this 'Lilly'. After a short introduction the rookie broached the reason she had felt the need to reach out to the veteran. The words were touching, but ultimately it was advice Carolyn couldn't take. The very idea of walking away, whether it be through quitting or being fired, wasn't something she was willing to entertain. While the idea of 'ripping out Ambrose's throat' held a certain appeal, or at least giving him a solid knuckle sandwich directed at it, she knew what would happen if she did. Not only to Dolph but also to herself.

The honest truth was that despite the harassment, frustration and everything else that came with it, wrestling was about the only thing that mattered and the only thing she had worth a damn. What the hell else would she do, run back to the Bronx and work herself into the ground for peanuts like her father had? Not a damn chance. Her mother was less than a memory, having walked out while Carolyn was still in diapers. Whatever family she did have left was scattered across the country and disconnected from each other. Though it sounded like a typical recipe for a sob story, Carolyn had learned to find and even enjoy the freedom in it; she could travel the whole year if she wanted without having to worry about anything shackling her into some commitment she would only come to resent. Her life. Her way. Her rules.

Or at least it had been. Now it was The Shield's way and The Shield's rules.

With a sigh she closed the app just as the bathroom door opened, Ambrose standing in the doorway in a billow if warm steam and nothing but a towel wrapped firmly around his hips. He moved a little more gingerly than normal, having been in the main event against Daniel Bryan. He had lost but had taken his pound of flesh from the number one contender after the match ended, along with Roman and Seth. He turned his back to her as he dug through the contents of his suitcase and she chanced stealing a glimpse, noticing small pale scars that marked his skin, a testament to his days warring on the independent circuit.

Dean glanced over his shoulder to find Carolyn staring at his back, taking a good guess at what held her attention. "Enjoying the view?"

Instead of looking away or acting embarrassed like he might have expected she simply gave him a cool once over as he turned around, a pair of sweat shorts bunched in his hand. After a quick evaluation she shrugged, then went back looking at the small screen in her hand. "I've seen better."

"Straight through the heart," He replied, two of his fingers pressed against his damp chest like the barrel of a pistol and pulled the imaginary trigger, "That hurts, Princess."

"You're a big boy, I'm sure you'll get over it." Placing the device on a nearby night stand she got up and went through her own case, pulling out a change of clothes and a toiletries bag then disappeared into the bathroom.

He pulled on his shorts and when heard the water start running Dean picked up the ipod, swiping the screen with his thumb to unlock it only to be prompted for a password. _Smart girl_. More often than not people didn't even bother setting something like that up because it just didn't occur to them. He put it back the way he found it then unzipped her case that was still sitting on top of her bed, carefully searching through its contents to find anything that could tell him more about the sort of woman Carolyn Walker was outside the ring.

A Samsung Galaxy mobile phone with a couple of missed calls and text messages, also password protected, sat on top of a neatly folded pile of her new ring get up. Underneath that was a set of gear designed in strong, vibrant colours that had been her usual fare just a couple of short weeks a go; not that she'd be needing it any more if he had his way. The colourful palette extended to most of her bras and panties, all of them matching sets to boot; something he definitely approved of. Shirts, shorts, pants, a jacket, gym clothes, a copy of Jim Butcher's _The Dresden Files: Summer Knight_... Nothing to indicate that there was anything worth going home to when she wasn't on the road; it was like she lived to travel. He was about to close it when he noticed something peeking out of the book's pages. Opening it up he found an old photo with a tired but happy grizzled looking man with his arm around the shoulders of who appeared to be his teenage daughter. Carolyn's dad, perhaps? No mother though, making him wonder if she was the one taking the picture, or out of it entirely. The date in the corner cited it had been taken in 1997 on Independence Day, if his math was correct she had only just turned fifteen when the memento was snapped.

The sound of the running shower abruptly stopped, alerting him that his time for snooping was running out. Putting the picture and book back in it's place he quickly made sure he hadn't disturbed anything that would be noticed zipped up the suitcase. When she emerged he was laying on his bed, flicking through channels on the muted TV. He cocked a brow at her choice in night shirts, it was clearly one of Dolph's as it was a couple of sizes too large. "Hate to break it to you, Princess, but hot pink is not your colour."

"You're sincerity at delivering such devastating news is obvious."

He eyed her covertly as she put her things away, wondering if she would notice he had been through her stuff. She didn't, and simply grabbed her phone before closing it up. A faint scent of jasmine and lavender trailed in her wake and he decided he liked it. He also liked the view he had of her legs as she stretched out to pull back her covers and climbed into bed. "Sure you don't want one of mine? You could put it on right now."

"Go to hell, Ambrose."

He snickered as she settled in on her side with her back to him. He tried for a few more minutes searching for something worth watching before giving up. Turning the television off he settled down to sleep himself.

Plunged into darkness Carolyn lay listening as Dean searched for a comfortable spot and finally stilled. Before long she could tell he was asleep, his breathing slow and steady. Tired as her body was though, her mind buzzed away, insisting she dwell on the situation that had evolved at the end of her first match officially flying the flag for The Shield. Like a surgeon, Ambrose had struck a chord she hadn't even been consciously aware of up until that point, though now he had dragged it into the light it was impossible to ignore.

He was right about her lack of title contention, not having held the only strap in her division for almost two years. Several occasions she had clawed her way back into an opportune spot, only to have bookings or opponents change leaving her empty handed time after time. She had gone from having the joy of going up against women like Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Gail Kim, Melina, Trish and Lita where she could always test herself, reduced to playing with kid gloves to minimise the risk of injuring the current trend of model-cum-wrestler. How had it happened? Had she fallen so far into complacency that she had indeed gone blind to the whole issue? Or was it something she didn't actively want to look at, knowing that the life expectancy of a woman's WWE in-ring career was short, and that she herself was clearly at the age of the downhill slide?

_How is that fair, Princess? How is that **justice**?_

The two simple questions hounded her until she was forced to admit the answer she felt in her heart; it wasn't.

* * *

The monotone of the hotel phone woke Dean up. Feeling around blindly he found the receiver and picked it up, "Hello?"

"Good morning, sir," the pleasant voice on the other end announced, "This is your scheduled wake up call for 6 am."

Wake up call? He didn't remember asking for a wake up call. He didn't even have to be up for another two hours. He sat up a little, brain struggling to keep up with what was going on. "But I didn't-"

_Wait_.

Looking to his left he found Carolyn's unmade bed empty. Oh god, she was one of those people who got up before the sun did. _How wonderful_. At least she was quiet about it.

"Sir?"

He had forgotten about the receptionist on the line. "Huh? Uh, yeah. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Have a pleasant day."

He hung up and laid back, closing his eyes. He was almost back asleep when the phone rang again fifteen minutes later. _What now?_ "Hello?"

"Good morning, sir. This is your scheduled wake up call for 6:15."

_What the hell was going on?_

"I didn't ask for any damn wake up call for 6:15," Ambrose snapped irritably, "Just like I didn't ask for one set for fifteen minutes a go."

"My apologies. I'm sorry to have disturbed you, sir."

He hung up again, grumbling some choice words. His arm draped lazily across his eyes as once again he tried to sleep. He wasn't getting out of this bed unless he absolutely had to. Unfortunately the phone had other ideas. _For the love of_... "What?!"

"Good morning, sir..."

* * *

Sitting in the hotel restaurant Carolyn and Dolph sat at a table looking like they were about to burst, doing their best to stop from laughing as her cell erupted with a string of curses from her new room mate on the other end of the line. The 'receptionist' was actually the waiter who had taken their orders and had agreed to the prank when she offered him a few generous bills on top of what would have been his usual tip. The young man was an aspiring actor, his talent making the joke that much more convincing, even in the face of Dean's tirade. When Ambrose hung up he handed Carolyn back her phone, promising to be back in another quarter of an hour.

"How long are you going to keep this up?" Dolph asked in amusement before taking a bite out of some toast.

"How long is a piece of string?" She grinned, idly poking at her cereal with a spoon, "See how he likes being harassed for a change."

"If there's any way I can lend a hand, _please_, let me know."

They sat in silence for a few minutes and she continued to play with her food instead of eating it, something that was unusual for her. "You ok, Babe? You look distracted."

"I'm fine."

He shook his head a little as he rolled his eyes; a woman saying she was fine more often than not meant anything but. "Does it have something to do with what Ambrose said to you in the ring last night?"

"Can we not talk about him, or that, please? It's bad enough I have to be all but glued to his hip from now on."

He held up his hands in surrender at her defensive tone and left it alone, despite wanting to pull it out of her exactly what was said. He had managed to get some of it out of Kaitlyn last night, but what she said didn't make any sense.

"I'm thinking of breaking into the broadcast truck at the next show and changing the music around," Carolyn announced, changing the subject. "I want to see the look on his face being forced to walk down to the ring to Gloria Gaynor."

Dolph coughed, almost choking on a mouthful of juice at the mental image of The Shield marching to the song of _I Will Survive_. "That would be _hilarious_."

Looking at the underside of her wrist at her watch she saw that fifteen minutes were almost up and waived their waiter back over. Sure, the prank was a little petty, but damn it felt good to annoy the shit out of Ambrose for a change. Taking the offered phone the actor cleared his throat and pressed the dial button then put it on speaker once more.

"Good morning, sir."

The explosive reaction on the other end was so loud it could be heard clear across to the other end of the room, sending the two pranksters into a fresh round of stifled snickering fits...

* * *

_Quick shout out and thanks to Cookie D for sending me the most random PM I've ever gotten in my eight years of being a member here and spawning the opening plot bunny. Credit/ownership for Lily goes to her._


	6. Chapter 6

"So you've had some time to think the deal over. You interested?"

Her hips cocked to one side as she folded her arms while contemplating the offer he had proposed to her Monday morning. It was appealing on a few levels, but he was dangerous and unpredictable, she didn't know if she could trust him or not. "How do I know you'll keep your end?"

Instead of placating her he just grinned wolfishly, "You can't, but things can get a whole lot worse if you don't."

"Is that a threat?"

"Not at all, just thinking it would be a shame if what could of happened to Kaitlyn were to actually happen to you."

She searched his eyes, trying to figure out if he was bluffing or not. It seemed an impossible task however as he gave absolutely nothing away. She sighed, her hand running through long back hair. "Alright, I'll do it."

"Good." Ambrose looked quite pleased with himself and made to move past her, "It's nice to know you're more reasonable than people give you credit for, AJ. See you on Monday."

* * *

The phonetic alphabet heralded the arrival of the Shield's first appearance at Night of Champions with Ambrose standing confidently in front of his small pack. Fist bumps were exchanged between himself, Reigns and Rollins before setting off down the stairs, signalling for Carolyn to follow him. She complied, albeit somewhat reluctantly so. As they reached the barricade an excited fan was about to all but shove and inflatable bright yellow kangaroo in his face but she thought the better of it when he turned suddenly. His attention wasn't on her though as he smirked and offered his hand to the diva tailing him only to have her once again refuse it.

"One of these days you'll take me up on it, Princess."

"Don't hold your breath."

"Well, John, Dolph earned this match via disqualification on Smackdown this past Friday night. He and Ambrose have had their problems in recent weeks, with most of it centred around Carolyn Walker. It should be interesting to see if her presence plays a factor in this match or not tonight," Cole said as the pair came over the barricade, Ambrose climbing the stairs and ducked between the ropes as she slowly wandered around to the far side in front of the announce table. "It's the first time that both she and Dolph have both been ringside at the same time since Carolyn cut that deal with The Shield."

"Only time will tell, Michael," JBL replied, "Considering the way she was staring at Kaitlyn while Ambrose was in her ear on Monday, it makes you wonder if she's started to drink the Kool-Aid that The Shield is selling."

Dolph stole a quick glance in Carolyn's direction, noting the stoic and unreadable mask she was wearing. It was such an abrupt change in contrast to the boundless, positive energy he had come to associate with her, especially when she had started accompanying him to the ring after he had gone his separate ways from the basket of crazy that was AJ and the chaos that had ensued after he had cut ties. The Shield's week had been absolutely packed with appearances, house shows and other commitments and, despite the pressure of this being a match for the US championship, he couldn't help but wonder how that much time spent with Ambrose was already effecting her judgement.

"Don't worry, Dolph," Dean sneered, "I've been taking good care of your girlfriend. _Really_ good care of her."

The innuendo, whether it was true or not, caught his full attention. There was _no way_ Carolyn would... would she? He mentally shook himself; of course not, it was just Ambrose trying to get into his head. It had to be.

The time for contemplation was over as the bell rang. Warily the circled each other, each making a few feints before Ambrose was the first to move in only to have Ziggler slip around and take him to the mat with a belly to back take down. They rolled around on the canvas jockeying for position, Dolph going for a pin to force Dean to kick out. After both found their feet Ziggler again managed to slip behind Ambrose but was forced to break the hold when the champion hugged the top rope. They exchanged a few more holds and jobs, Ambrose eventually getting the best of it, then mocked Ziggler with one of his own trademark taunts. Dolph replied with a standing dropkick to wipe the smirk off Ambrose's face.

Carolyn slowly paced the length of the ring watching champion and challenger intently. She had to admit, Ambrose was good at what he did. He gave as good as he got but also seemed to get bored at random, prompting him to do or say something in an attempt to kick the proverbial hornets nest to liven things up. As the match wore on it went back and forth a few times, but for the most part it was clear that Ambrose had control. Eventually the action spilled to the outside as Dolph assaulted the champion with a flurry of fists and Ambrose retreated to the safety of the outside, the ref restraining Ziggler from following.

Dean held his jaw, rolling it from the left to right in an attempt to work out the ache that Dolph had rewarded him with as he eyed his challenger. Taunting the Show Off he manipulated him into a chase, running half way around the corner of the ring and sliding under the bottom rope, catching Ziggler as he followed and started stomping relentlessly. Seizing Dolph by the forearm he dragged him to a vertical base, only to knock him down again with a short clothesline. Rolling him over Dean buried a knee in the small of his back and locked his fingers together underneath his chin, stretching him back as far as he could. After a little bit of manoeuvring Dolph managed to wriggle his way up but was still trapped in a headlock. Ambrose had a hold of him for what might have been a back drop, but Ziggler rolled back and landed on his feet behind him and connected with another dropkick.

Building up momentum Ziggler took advantage and dropped his signature elbows. Again he went for the pin only to have Ambrose kick out at two, the champ staggering towards the nearest corner. Keeping up the increasing pace Dolph charged him but ended up eating the turn-buckle when Dean ducked out of the way last second. Breathing heavily Ambrose looked over his shoulder and grinned, the pendulum shifting his way once more. He was unrelenting in keeping control of the match, countering whatever Dolph threw at him.

"Tell you what, Dolph," Ambrose smirked, confident that the match was in the bag as the exhausted Show Off tried to pull himself upright by clawing his way up Dean's leg, "If you can beat me I'll let your girlfriend go too."

Carolyn was surprised to say the least, the sudden statement cracking the aloof facade she had maintained since the bout started into a state of open shock.

"Did I just hear Ambrose right?" King asked, just as surprised as anyone else who heard it, "Is he serious?"

"Mind games, King," Layfield answered, "Nothing but mind games."

"Mind games or not, it seems to have fired up Ziggler!" Cole pointed out as Dolph managed to get back on the offensive.

Managing to create separation Dolph charged, connecting with a clothesline that sent them both tumbling out of the ring in front of the announce table. They began to brawl with Dolph getting the better of the exchange and whipped Ambrose towards one of the ring posts. He barely managed to put the brakes on in time before colliding with Carolyn, stopping mere inches away. Turning around he saw Ziggler coming straight for him and driven by pure instinct he dodged out of the way, but the woman behind him wasn't quite so lucky. She hadn't seen Dolph past Ambrose until the champion had moved at the last second, by then it was to late to avoid the collision. He crashed into her, sending them both into the post with Carolyn taking the brunt of it.

Ziggler looked undoubtedly horrified at what had just happened but didn't get the chance to do anything about it as Ambrose blind-sided him, forcing them both back into the ring. In those few seconds something in his opponent shifted, the ferocious intensity kicking up even higher. The match devolved into a brawl with Ambrose getting Ziggler in a headlock again, this time driving him viciously face first into the canvas to pick up the victory. As the bell rang Dean slipped out under the ropes, making a beeline for where Carolyn was still in a heap on the floor with the ringside doctor by her side. Her eyes had that glazed, far away stare, a clear sign that she had a concussion.

Everything sounded strange as the world swam nauseatingly every time she tried to stand, the endeavour to do so was quickly abandoned. Clutching at the apron skirting she tried to keep still, it was all she could do in an effort not to lose whatever she had eaten last. There was someone pushing past Doc Sampson, dressed head to toe in black, but she couldn't focus properly. She felt hot skin and the scent of sweat invaded her sense of smell as strong arms wrapped around under her knees and the small of her back, lifting her off the floor. There was murmuring in her ear as they moved, calling her 'Princess'. Bright lights and the turbulent cacophony left her feeling sick so she closed her eyes, trying to hold onto the calming sound of a racing heartbeat as her head rested against the chest of whoever was carrying her.

The chaotic noise of thousands slowly faded into a tolerable muted rumble, dozens of flashing colourful spotlights traded in for the steady blue white of fluorescent tubes. The journey finally stopped as she was gently laid down in the trainer's station, calloused fingers brushing hair from her face with an air of tenderness. Looking up she tried to focus on the face but he turned as someone barged into the room. She wanted to say something but the words slipped through her fingers like sand, so all she could do was watch as he left her in the capable hands of doctor Amann.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Helmsley growled as soon as the door shut behind them and no-one was in ear shot.

"My job," He replied simply, "You want her to become part of The Shield, then fine, just don't question how I go about it."

"You listen to me, Ambrose, and listen good. You guys may have started out as hired muscle for Paul Heyman, but at the end of the day I'm the one who's signing your pay cheques." A finger jabbed the US champion in the chest to emphasise his point, "_Do not_ forget that."

Dean watched as Hunter stalked down the hall, his fists slowly clenching. For now the goals of The Shield and the COO were almost one and the same, so he would tolerate Helmsley's presence a while longer. Dean had plans of his own and he'd be damned if some corporate suit would screw it up, it' didn't matter how far up the chain they were. Heading back into the aid station Ambrose silently stood to one side allowing the doctor to work unimpeded, waiting for the inevitable trip to a local hospital for a proper examination.

Rollins was the first to track him down after he and Reigns had successfully defended the tag titles, his two toned head popping around the corner of the door before coming in. "What's the damage?"

"Concussion. Back of her head bounced of the post pretty hard," Ambrose replied, "I'll go with her when they send her off, since I'll be the one doing the whole baby sitting thing anyway if they decide to discharge her tonight."

"Well you were the one who wanted to play room mate." Seth grinned, but quickly sobered when Dean didn't respond. All his attention seemed to be on Carolyn. "You alright?"

"I'm fine, just thinking a few things over." His focus shifted to Rollins for the first time since the other man came in, "We need to keep an eye on the COO, our goals and his may not be quite so aligned as I first thought."

Rollins merely nodded, the three of them knew this was bound to happen eventually, "We'll be ready when the time comes, all you have to do is say the word."


	7. Chapter 7

It was still dark when Carolyn woke up and it took a minute or two to take in the unfamiliar surroundings before it registered that she was in the hotel room she shared with Ambrose. The only light was what came through the window, and being several storeys up with no opposing building across the way Dean hadn't seen the point in drawing the curtain. Her head still hurt, but it was reduced to nothing more than a tolerable dull ache and she was thinking clearly again, so that in itself was a good sign.

Quietly she sat up as she began piecing together what had happened last night. She remembered Dolph and Ambrose going at it, the pair of them spilling out of the ring and of being shouldered straight into the ring post, but everything after that started to become a jumbled mess. Things only came in vivid flashes and random feelings. There was the face of Doc Sampson, his expression of professional concern a familiar one as he had probably patched her up more times than the rest of the divas division combined. Then there was someone else who wasn't waiting for more medical staff to show up, instead picking her up and carrying her off. She remembered the colour black and a radiating body heat a person only got from a lot of physical exertion. She remembered the odd sensation of feeling safe in that cradling embrace, and a soft voice in her ear telling her not to fall asleep when all she wanted to do was curl up like an exhausted kitten. The calm reassurance as calloused fingers brushed softly against her face... Suddenly the whole thing snapped back into sharp focus at the memory of one simple word; Princess.

_Ambrose_ was the one that carted her backstage? That didn't make any sense.

She looked over to her right finding him sound asleep on his back and the covers had slipped down to his hips leaving his bare upper body exposed. He was built differently from Dolph, his torso and shoulders broader and heavier, chest sparsely covered in hair. While Ziggler looked as if he was permanently shredded and had been chiselled from marble, Dean was a little more rough around the edges with only the faintest trace of contours outlining his muscles as he rested. He abruptly shifted a little as he mumbled something incoherent in his sleep, causing the tousled mess of hair he usually kept slicked back to fall across his closed eyes and lending him a certain measure of boyish charm. The more she studied his physique the more she found it appealing, almost instantly catching herself out on the idle thought. She was _not_ going to go down that road. Ambrose was an ass that got off on tormenting the hell out of her, plain and simple.

Throwing her covers back she realised she was still in her ring gear, only minus her belt and boots before spotting them neatly stacked on top of her case. It only added to the list of emerging oddities that seemed to conflict with her initial evaluation of Dean Ambrose. What was he trying to achieve by being the world's biggest antagonising bastard one minute, then acting so... sweet and chivalrous the next? _Hold on_, she thought, _did I just use the words 'sweet' and 'chivalrous' to describe Dean Ambrose of all people? I must of hit my head harder than I thought..._

It was getting confusing and she no longer wanted to dwell on it. Wide awake now Carolyn slipped silently out of bed and carefully opened her suitcase, trying to keep whatever noise she made to a minimum. Using the light from her phone as a makeshift torch she grabbed a few things and disappeared into the bathroom to change. A few minutes later she emerged, then after stuffing her wallet, key card and cell in the pockets of her pants crept out of the room. Having almost reached the elevator she heard her name and turned around, only to freeze on the spot; it was Roman.

"It's five thirty," He said, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Outside," She replied, trying not to sound as intimidated as she felt, "I always go for a walk first thing in the morning." He considered this a moment before pushing the call button and she had the distinct impression he just invited himself along. First Ambrose, now Reigns. What the hell was going on? "I can handle myself, Roman. Besides I thought The Shield didn't deal in sympathy, or was Seth just full of it?"

"It's Detroit," He answered, avoiding the question. "Do you really think I'm going to let you wander around by yourself?"

Annoyed but in no real mood to argue Carolyn waved him off dismissively, "Fine, do what you want. Just don't expect a conversation."

Exiting the hotel they took a left and strolled down the block, the sounds of the city all around them as Detroit woke up to start its Monday morning. Trucks and vans began to filter down the streets delivering newspapers, clean laundry and whatever else that was needed to run the part of town kept for the tourists. After a while she almost forgot he was there as neither said a word to the other, it seemed he wasn't much in the mood for talking either.

The week she had been forced to spend with The Shield had been exhausting, the majority of the time spent with Ambrose if two of them had to go to one appearance and the other pair another. He had spent most of his energy pushing and pulling, discovering what he could say or do simply to get a rise out of her. The few times she had managed to get away from him was when Rollins had taken his place, his aloof demeanour almost a grateful reprieve as he didn't say a lot to her either way. Up until this point she had managed to avoid spending any more than a few minutes alone in the same vicinity as Roman, but since he wasn't trying to spear her into next week his company didn't seem so bad.

Her phone buzzed, letting her know she just received a message. There was only one person who would do that at this hour, mainly because he knew she'd be up.

_I'm sorry_.

She sighed a little, Dolph had been apologising a lot lately for things out of his control.

_It was an accident. Nothing to be sorry about_.

_I know, but it still... How are you feeling?_

_Better. Still have a bit of a headache though. How's things on your end?_

_I'm fine, just the usual post match aches._

Suddenly a hand came down on her shoulder and steered her to the left, "The hell?!" Her vision followed Roman's outstretched finger, pointing at the lamp post he had just stopped her from walking into. "Oh... thanks." He simply shrugged and they continued on.

_Where are you anyway?_

_Just taking a walk, it's rather nice outside._

_On your own?_

_No, Roman caught me as I was leaving and decided he was tagging along. He actually just stopped me from walking face first into a pole_. A few minutes passed without a response, which was unusual.

_So it's Roman now?_

_What's that supposed to mean?_

_I'm just trying to work out how you're now on a first name basis with the guy who all but put you through the mat._

_What difference does it make what I call him? I'm not going to be dumb enough to antagonise the man by resorting to name calling._

Again the non-respondent silence stretched out. A feeling of frustration began to settle in and she shoved the phone back in her pocket and picked up the pace. What the hell had the sudden attitude been all about? Over her shoulder Reigns smirked, having read the majority of the text conversation without her realising it. So dear Dolph was getting jealous and insecure already? Even Ambrose couldn't have planned that any better if he tried...

* * *

She had sat waiting for almost half an hour, watching the door that led to the parking lot beyond. She was getting bored and could only hope her quarry would show up sooner rather than later. Five minutes on and her small wish was granted, Ziggler pushing the door open with his bag slung casually over a shoulder.

"Dolph!"

He stopped and turned, already wishing he hadn't as AJ approached him. He thought he had managed to free himself from the pint sized basket case months a go. "What do you want, AJ?"

"Listen, I know we've had our differences in the past-"

"That's one way of putting it." He held his hands up as she glared at him for interrupting, "Sorry. Go on."

"As I was saying, I know we've had our differences, but this whole thing with you, The Shield and Walker...If you ever want to talk about it give me a call. It helps when someone listens, you know?" She studied him for any sort of reaction, clearly he was surprised that his ex of all people was willing to be the open ear for any frustrations he had. "Just keep it in mind. I'll see you around." Before he could protest she gave him a quick peck on the cheek and skipped off.

He watched her go feeling thoroughly confused. First Carolyn was on a first name basis with Roman Reigns, now AJ was playing the understanding sympathy card. It was as if the world was taking a trip down the damn rabbit hole. He shook it off and continued on to the locker room, with another chance to take Ambrose's title from him Ziggler couldn't afford distractions...

* * *

That evening Raw was broadcast from Cleveland. Despite her insistence that she was fine the trainers weren't going to clear Carolyn for competition tonight which decidedly annoyed her. The closest she was going to get to action was being dragged down to ringside with Ambrose again as he and Dolph once more squared off for a chance at Ziggler getting anther chance at Dean's title. Instead the few minutes set for the Divas match was something involving the cast of the WWE's new 'reality' show and AJ's little mob she had managed to manipulate. Again. _Maybe Dean was right after all_...

"Look who's decided to join us on commentary!" JBL drawled as Carolyn took a seat next to him.

She smiled at the colour commentator, "I figure if I sit over here and all hell brakes loose, you'll cop the chaos before I do."

Compliments were exchanged as she adjusted the headset and the match got under way. Carolyn gave her opinion here and there when prompted, but for the most part just kept quiet and watched the two competitors intently. While Ziggler changed the momentum several times it always seemed as if Ambrose had his number, managing to wrest back and keep in control for the majority of the match.

"So what's going on between You and Dean Ambrose?" Layfield asked.

"I have no idea what you mean, John," She replied with a note of irritation, "He's an ass-hat that likes to push peoples buttons."

"But ass-hats don't usually carry divas all the way backstage after they've been knocked silly for being in the wrong place at the wrong time," the Texan pointed out.

"Look, I have no idea why Ambrose does even half the things he does. Why don't you ask him?"

"You're still firmly in Ziggler's corner then, even after what happened last night?" Cole inquired, trying to get his own answers.

"What kind of question is that?" Carolyn fired back, as if the answer were obvious, "Besides, it was an accident. Like JBL said- wrong place, wrong time."

"So who do you think is going to win? Who do you _want_ to win?"

She turned and looked at Bradshaw, clearly not amused. "I'm not even going to dignify that with an answer."

"You can't possibly still be pulling for Dolph in this whole thing. He just stood by while Roman Reigns ran through you like a freight train."

"I didn't exactly see you stepping up to the plate to stop it either," Carolyn shot back, "You know what they say about stones and glass houses." With that JBL began to back off. For every question he had she was ready with some way to either twist it back on him or side step all together.

For a while it looked as though the rematch was going to be a repeat performance of last night as Ambrose connected with several high impact manoeuvres before grappling Dolph into a headlock. This time Ziggler was ready for it and countered, then connected with the Zig-Zag to claim victory as well as another title opportunity. Despite herself, Carolyn couldn't help but grin a little as he paraded around the ring, rubbing it in to Ambrose that he had beaten him. Then she watched as Dean's mood shifted, his eyes darkening with bad intentions as he slowly got to his feet. Without thinking she tore off the headset and slid under the bottom rope, making sure she was in between the pair just as Ambrose was closing in.

"You lost, Ambrose, now deal with it."

"Oh I'll deal with it, Princess," He replied, "You just need to get out of the damn way."

"Give him what he wants, Carol," Dolph agreed, "I'll just plant the back of his head on the mat again."

"Keep running your mouth, Ziggler. We both know you can't beat me when it actually counts," Ambrose sneered, "Who knows, maybe this time you wont end up sending your girlfriend to the hospital, though I doubt it. But don't worry, I don't mind taking care of her, it's something you obviously can't do at all."

It was getting increasingly tense and Carolyn was well aware she was the the in the eye of the storm as they tried to get past her. The moment that they did she knew they'd be at each other's throats and it wasn't going to be pretty. "Dial down the damn testosterone and save it for the PPV!" She growled, successfully managing to pry them apart with no small amount of effort. Looking at Ziggler she tried to reason with him, whether or not he would hear it was another story. "Don't give him the satisfaction, or an excuse, to bring the other two down here as well."

Ziggler's blood sang for a fight and the fans were screaming for him to act on the impulse, but the subtle, almost pleading tone in Carolyn's voice nagged at his better judgement. He couldn't understand it, if Ambrose were to take a swing at him the deal would be called off and she could be herself again. Why wouldn't she want to take that? Why wasn't she letting him fight his own damn battles? Movement from the corner of his eye caught his attention; it was Rollins and Reigns. He could feel the energy of that pack mentality The Shield was known for building in the air. _Shit_.

Dolph and Ambrose slowly circled each other with Carolyn now firmly in the middle, her hand pressed against Dean's chest as some token form of restraint. Behind them Seth and Roman had climbed in, just itching at the chance to go on the attack. "Dolph, _please_... just go. Save it for Battleground."

Three on one odds didn't sound at all appealing, no matter how much he wanted to go at it. With a frustrated snarl he turned and left, stalking up the isle and disappeared backstage.

"Not that I mind that much, but you can take your hands off me now, Princess."

"Huh?" Carolyn's attention shifted back to Ambrose, then pulled her hand away like the contact had suddenly burned her palm. "Would you just... _stop_ calling me that." He simply smirked, it was cute the way her nose scrunched up when she was flustered.

"I don't care what either of you say," Layfield said to his two fellow commentators as The Shield left the ring, "But there is definitely something going on between Dean Ambrose and Carolyn Walker."


	8. Chapter 8

"_I don't care what either of you say, but there is definitely something going on between Dean Ambrose and Carolyn Walker."_

Helmsley paused the recording of last week's Raw and rewound the last few moments, re-watching the the exchange of words that the cameras hadn't quite been able to pick up between Dean and Carolyn. He realised what the US champion was doing; if he could twist any perceived interaction between them as something more than it was then the more the roster would start to question which side of the fence she was actually on, eventually giving her no choice but to throw her lot in with The Shield. For whatever reason, despite her strengths, Carolyn had never really been able to handle public displays of affection beyond anything solely platonic very well, and somehow Dean had picked up on that. He had to hand it to the man, it was a good plan, though he couldn't help but wonder if that was Ambrose's only motivation for doing it. Carolyn wasn't exactly paper bag over the head material after all.

He simply shrugged in the end; if Ambrose wanted to fuck the woman that was his business, just so long as he didn't end up doing anything stupid in the process. Apart from Daniel Bryan, so far The Shield had been doing a sufficient job keeping the locker room in check up until last week, though that was something that had easily been rectified on Smackdown. It had been a simple enough matter to manipulate Vickie into the idea of the eleven on three gauntlet match, and as an added bonus Ambrose and company hadn't even suspected he had been behind it once he came out and shut the whole thing down. If dealing with Vince and his Corporation cronies back in the late nineties had taught him anything it was that you can get away with damn near everything once you had the power and the ruthlessness to use it. But where once Vince could do things his way with impunity Hunter had to be more subtle about it, lest he upset the vaunted board of directors. So long as he could make it appear as if he was being tough but fair, the clueless suits up in Stamford would believe whatever bullshit he fed them.

He turned off the recording and turned his attention to other matters. He and Stephanie had nudged Randy just enough to bring out that violent streak of old. It was a potentially dangerous game, he'd never forget what Orton had put but of them through a few years a go, but if he could guide the direction in which The Viper struck without being obvious about it then Helmsley would have one more weapon in his arsenal...

* * *

"Are you fucking crazy?"

"Maybe a little."

"Only a little? I'm starting to wonder which head you're letting do the thinking for you."

Seth stared at Dean like the man had started to lose his mind. Was he seriously considering dropping his title to Ziggler at Battleground just so he could turn around and twist the knife about Walker being with them? And what the hell would that entail anyway? Rollins wasn't blind, he had noticed the way his stable-mate had been eyeing off their indentured recruit as of late; it was becoming less the initial 'dat ass' leer to something more, something hungrier. The pair of them sharing the same hotel room for the majority of the week couldn't be helping matters either. There was nothing more Dean liked in the women that truly caught his interest than being made to work for the prize he wanted. He enjoyed the proverbial thrill of the hunt as much as the end result, but unless he was packing a blow torch and an ice axe Seth seriously doubted he'd be able to get past Walker's frosty demeanour towards him.

It was currently just the pair of them in the locker room. As of late Roman had taken to following Carolyn around like a huge hulking guard dog, and despite the understandable initial trepidation she had shown towards the large Samoan, she was slowly getting used to having him there. Even though the two didn't talk to each other it had the beneficial side effect of no-one else daring to approach the diva merely because of her close proximity to Reigns.

"So just how do you plan on getting the belt back if you do decide to go through with this lunacy?"

"Carolyn's gonna help me get it back," Dean smirked, "Willingly, I might add."

Seth couldn't help but laugh, the idea was too absurd for words. Dean was unpredictable at times and thought outside of the box, but that? "Good luck, man. That's all I can say."

Ambrose simply waved it off, "Laugh all you want, I know what I'm doing."

"A word of advice then," Seth offered, knowing better than to think he could persuade Dean from his crazy notion, "Stop antagonising her, it's not going to get you anywhere."

* * *

What, in whichever coloured hell a person could choose, was Roman's sudden... infatuation? Carolyn had looked at it from every possible angle she could think of but had still yet to work it out. Ever since he had come along with her on the walk in Detroit he had taken to following her around at every arena they were in. Apart from the 'initiation' she had gone through and the subsequent warning afterwards, Reigns hadn't shown even one iota of further hostility towards her. He showed no signs in a desire to further intimidate her, hit on her or show any other form of interest; he was just simply... there.

They walked into catering and she watched as a few people give her a wider berth than usual, thanks in no small part to her two hundred and sixty five pound shadow. With a sigh she took a bottle of water and offered it to him then took one for herself. If Roman was the only company she was going to have from now on she decided she may as well make the most of it eventually. They found a vacant table in the corner of the room and sat down on opposite sides so they faced each other. Her forehead rested on the heel of her palm and she closed her eyes while Roman leaned back in his chair until it rested against the wall. She could hear the murmurs and the whispers but still they all kept their distance simply because of one man. _Fucking cowards, all of them_, she thought with a surprising amount of vicious anger and disgust behind it.

She had been with The Shield for three weeks now, two of those had been spent going just about damn near everywhere with them, and she was slowly learning the quirks each man possessed. Roman was pretty much the embodiment of the strong and silent type, not saying a lot unless spoken to or if he had something to offer to a certain situation. Seth seemed a little odd to her; one minute he seemed friendly enough, the next he could switch into that cold aloof state she had witnessed on initiation night. She did like the two tone hair colour thing he had going on though, it suited him. Ambrose... Well trying to figure that man out was like trying to get through a maze without any clues at all. While he was still a pain in the ass he had begun to reel it in lately and she could only begin to guess at why. It put her a little on edge, making her wonder what he was up to.

Cracking the lid open she took a sip of the cold water, not really wanting to try and figure out what hair-brained scheme Ambrose was trying to pull off right now. Tonight Helmsley had finally decided to 'gift' her with a two on one handicap match with mystery opponents in the notion of 'fairness' considering the way The Shield had been running rough shot the past couple of weeks. The boys got to have all the fun and she was the one getting punished for it. The idea was as transparent as Hunter's sincerity, but she was itching to compete anyway, she needed a release for the pent up frustration that was stewing just under the surface.

She was older than the majority of divas running around by a few years, hell she was older than her current stable-mates, and had begun to wonder if that was why she had seen so little in ring action lately. Were the hire-ups thinking that she was getting too long in the tooth to keep pace? She snorted derisively at the idea and dismissed it; she was only thirty one for christ sake, it wasn't _that_ old. Layla was older than her by a few years, so how could that possibly be the case? Maybe it was the fact she could wrestle circles around ninety five percent of the female roster. Or perhaps her willingness to take a chance getting in the ring with the men on occasion and not back down, even if it meant getting knocked on her ass. While it was novel to most to her it was no big deal, having started out being the only girl on her high school wrestling team the idea of being across the ring from a man didn't phase Carolyn at all. Most of the time, anyway.

_Stop. Thinking._

She looked up to observe the rest of the room and saw Dolph come in. They caught each other's eye before he glanced at Roman and looked away with an odd expression. She didn't know what the hell it was about but she didn't like it. A few minutes later AJ all but skipped into the room, offered her a weird smile, than sat down next to Ziggler.

_What in the ever loving fuck?_

"Something wrong?" Roman asked quietly, startling her a little. Apparently she wasn't aware she had given actual voice to the thought.

"... No," Carolyn replied. Lying was easier than dealing with the odd sight that was evolving in front of her for the moment. She stood up after a minute and left, Roman following suit. They headed down the hall at a somewhat slow pace as yet again Carolyn tried unsuccessfully to get her brain to give the over-analysing a break. Restless, frustrated and an inability to shut off her over-active mind, she was more than ready to take it out on whoever was going to be in the ring with her, she needed the distraction. Speaking of distractions...

"Roman..."

"Hmm?"

"Why do you keep following me everywhere?"

He shrugged, "I like your company." He smirked a little at the eyebrow that crept up sceptically, "And also... I'm sorry."

"Wait... What?"

"Is it really that hard to believe? I guess I can't really blame you for it." He ran a hand through his hair, looking slightly uncomfortable even bringing it up. He remembered the startled deer-in-the-headlights reaction he had elicited that night on Smackdown before she slammed the door in his face and it hadn't sat well with him since. "What Seth said was true though, none of us really wanted for that to happen. I'm just the guy who drew the short straw that night."

Hearing that little piece of information made her stop dead in her tracks. "So that... beat down was going to happen either way?" He answer was to simply look at the floor and nod. "Fucking hell. It was Helmsley's idea, wasn't it?" Again a nod of affirmation. "Fucking asshole. He just can't let it go."

He watched her pace, cursing profusely under her breath as she did so. She was clearly agitated now and wasn't bothering to hide it at all; it made Roman wonder just why she held a certain measure of deep seeded animosity towards the COO. "I can tell you this one thing if it's any consolation; it won't happen again. I promise. You still may not be thrilled with the idea but you're one of us now, and The Shield looks after its own."

She stopped and looked up at him intently, gauging the honesty of his statement and if it could be trusted or not. He'd be foolish to think she'd simply accept it at face value, he hadn't exactly done anything to inspire her to think otherwise, but at least the kernel was there now. It would give her mind something else to gnaw on for a while.

In the end she simply offered him a wry smile, this situation was getting stranger by the day.


	9. Chapter 9

All but one of The Shield looked slightly agitated and more than a little confused when Helmsley had announced the elimination handicap match as the night's main event. Rollins, Reigns and Ambrose had done everything the COO had asked of them and this was the repayment? It didn't sit well with any of them at all and Hunter could clearly see it as he and Steph made their way backstage.

Back in the locker room Dean paced from one end to the other as Seth sat straddling a chair, his arms loosely folded over the top of the back of it. Roman leaned against the wall with his massive arms crossed over his chest while Carolyn had found her customary spot on the floor in a corner. The apparent serenity she projected right now inexplicably annoyed Ambrose, and he was unable to stop giving voice to it.

"How in the hell can you be so calm about this?"

"Because I've known the ass a lot longer than any of you have. It was just a matter of time before he pulled a stunt like this," She replied simply, nonplussed by his apparent irritation. "He's trying to keep under the radar with the board of directors, so blatantly using you guys as enforcers is counter productive to that. In short- he's throwing you under the bus."

It was something he didn't want to hear, but the undeniable ring of truth rattled in his ears. If this were indeed the case then they would have to have their guard up from now on and wait for the opportune moment to present itself for an answering strike.

Seth looked at her quizzically, it was the first time she had offered up anything aside from the occasional snide comment. "What makes you so sure?"

"Because I've been in this situation before. Didn't work out quite the way he planned it though." She grinned a little at the sudden memory in the fledgling months of her career and the look on Helmsley's face when he realised she had beat his little game, "Who do you think talked Batista into challenging him for the world title back in 2005?"

"Sounds like there's a story there," Roman said, having a distinct notion that whatever it was had been the root of the agitation he had witnessed earlier.

"Maybe, but it won't help you with the now." Carolyn shook her head but refrained from the small laugh that wanted to bubble out. Having a civil conversation with these guys wasn't really that bad at all.

Ambrose was finding this new turn of events a little on the bizarre side, she was actually being cordial. Perhaps Rollins was right about not antagonising her after all. For now though he shrugged it off; they had bigger things to worry about, like how the hell were they going to beat eleven other men...

* * *

It honestly surprised Carolyn when she again protested about all three of them being at ringside only to have Ambrose acquiesce to her demand and sent Rollins and Reigns back, but wouldn't leave himself. Something seemed to have changed slightly tonight in the relationship she had with the three men, and she couldn't help but wonder what that could mean further down the road for all of them. Was Roman really telling the truth? Was she truly part of The Shield, and thus they would have her back?

Her attention was snapped back into the present by the sound of a wailing guitar and Natalya Niedhart appeared a moment later. The Canadian was soon joined by Tamina Snuka and they marched down the ramp side by side. Of course Helmsley would send two of the few women who could actually give her a run for her money when it was just one on one, now she had to deal with them both at the same time. Fine, it didn't matter either way; between Roman's little revelation and whatever the hell was going on between AJ and Dolph her blood was up and all she wanted an honest to god fight. Well, wish granted.

When the referee judged all three women to be ready he signalled for the bell and the match was under way. Carolyn's eyes darted from one opponent to the other as the trio circled, wondering which one was going to make the opening move. Natalya went for a feint but it was Tamina who tried to get the drop on her and almost succeeded, Carolyn dodging out of the way at the last second and replying to the attempt with a sharp kick to the woman's thigh. Without any loss of movement she countered Niedhart's incoming attack with a quick hip-toss before having to defend herself from Snuka once more.

Dean slowly paced the side of the ring he stood on and watched the match unfold with guarded interest, wondering if Carolyn would actually be able to pull a win out of the hat. As the minutes ticked by the momentum of the match had switched a couple of times, but each time she had clawed her way into the advantage the numbers would always be Carolyn's undoing. She was fierce, he could plainly see that, but he could tell she was still holding something back and it frustrated him. She was still to busy trying to play by the rules and being fair. But then something happened when Tamina connected with an elbow a little too hard with Carolyn's jaw, it was like someone had flicked a switch. He couldn't figure it out at first, then he spotted the crimson sluggishly bloom from the side of her lip when she pulled her hand away and looked at her fingers; she had just seen and tasted her own blood.

Blood could do funny things to people in a fight, especially if it was their own. Some freaked out, others would faint, then there were those who got angry, like it was an affront that needed a severe retaliation. That night he learned that Carolyn fell squarely in the middle of that third group as all sense of propriety got thrown out the window in very short order. If he thought she was fierce before she was just down right savage now. Natalya came at her again, but she countered the incoming clothesline and connected with a vicious DDT before rolling out of the way of Tamina's incoming boot. Carolyn quickly regained her feet and charged like a bat out of hell, delivering a spear that even Roman would have been proud of, the momentum carrying them both all the way to the turn-buckle. Knee after knee hit its mark and when she wasn't letting up the referee had to physically interject himself and gave her a stern reprimand.

_This_ was the Carolyn Walker that Ambrose wanted to see; a vengeful Valkyrie with a mean streak a mile wide as she continued to pick apart Tamina before dumping the woman unceremoniously to the outside. Having momentarily levelled the playing field she turned to face her other opponent who was shaking out the cobwebs. She charged Natalya but the Canadian dodged only to have Carolyn hit her with a running knee lift on the rebound. She stalked back and forth once or twice like a caged animal, seemingly unsure of how to proceed next before deciding on a couple of quick kicks while Niedhart was down. Forcing her back to her feet the pair grappled, then exchanged blows and holds until Natalya got the better of the exchange, forcing Carolyn into the Sharp Shooter.

Pain exploded through her back as Niedhart leaned back, putting even more pressure into the submission. Fingers were clawing desperately at the canvas in a futile attempt to stop giving voice to the agony she felt as the referee was in her ear asking if she wanted to quit. Frantically she searched fro a way out before she found Ambrose, his fists hitting the apron in an attempt at some sort of rally. He was actually actively supporting her? It didn't matter right now, he had given her a direction and that was enough. With her focus solely on the US champion Carolyn began the arduous effort of dragging herself and Natalya over to the bottom rope.

"Come on, Princess," Ambrose encouraged, ignoring the dirty look she shot him through the contorted expression of pain, "You're almost there."

Once she managed to get her hands around that rope she'd wrap them around his neck so he'd stop calling her by that stupid name. For the few feet of actual distance it felt like miles, the muscles in her arm and shoulder straining as the tips of her fingers flirted with the answer to her predicament before finally pulling herself those last few inches and snatched it like a lifeline. The pressure was finally gone, but had the damage already been done? She was about to find out as Natalya dragged her to a vertical base and wrapped her arms around Carolyn's waist and hoisted her into the air. Instead she used the momentum and rolled back, unsteadily landing on her feet, then running on instinct alone she seized the Canadian in a headlock and drove her into the mat.

Catching Tamina from the corner of his eye and both of them positioned behind the official, Ambrose snatched her ankle and prevented her from breaking up the three count. Her murderous glare died when she caught his cold calculating smirk, his grip around her leg released when it was clear she had gotten the message. Helping Natalya up the pair left the ring and Ambrose climbed in as Carolyn managed to sit up, much to her tortured spine's displeasure. She looked up to find Ambrose towering over her, an amused smile on his face.

"Stealing my finisher now?"

"My back is killing me," She replied dismissively, "There's no way I could've pulled off my own, so it was the next best thing I could think of."

He chuckled and offered his hand, fully expecting her to ignore it as had become the custom between them. She eyed him for a moment, but couldn't see any trace of his usual condescending manner this time. Hesitating a moment she finally reached out and took it. He hauled Carolyn to her feet with more strength than she had expected and as a result ended up with him a lot closer in her personal space than she would have liked. Allowing her to pull away he simply smirked at the red flush that was trying to crawl it's way up her neck. Suddenly the music changed from the theme of The Shield to the distinct sound of Motörhead, Triple H appearing on top of the stage.

"It's so sweet to see you finally getting along with your new playmates, Carolyn," Hunter stated mildly, "And it bought to my attention that I miscalculated the numbers for tonight's main event. It was understandable though, considering just how long the The Shield had been a trio." He took a little pleasure drawing it out, even though he could see Carolyn quickly piece together what he was getting around to. "I really hope you still have some gas in the tank, because _all_ members of The Shield are required to compete in the elimination match tonight."

Ambrose exploded, hurling abuse up the ramp while Carolyn merely looked like she wanted to be sick. They had been thrown under the bus alright, and now Helmsley had slammed it into reverse to hit them again for good measure.

* * *

The cold water felt good on her hot skin, but did little else to ease the tension that Carolyn was feeling at this last minute turn of events while she tidied herself up a little. She stood staring into the mirror above the line of sinks in the bathroom of The Shield's locker room as Roman, Seth and Dean discussed strategy in the other room. This was some sort of sick joke, it had to be. The amount of testosterone in that ring would be insane, and she had a hard time thinking of a worse position right now than being in the middle of a ring surrounded by fourteen men who just wanted to beat the living hell out of each other.

Roman seemed to agree with her line of reasoning as she heard his hushed voice. "We can't tag her in, it'll be suicide."

"I'm aware of that," Ambrose snapped, "But we may not have a choice if we can't take them all out."

God, now there was an unpleasant predicament if ever there was one. What if she were the last one left in their corner? Absently she looked at her hands and was for some reason surprised to see they were shaking. She wanted to put it down as simple exhaustion from the match she had just been through, but knew herself better than that. One on one with a guy in the ring she could handle, but this was something else entirely. Clenching them into fists in a vain attempt to get the shaking to stop she nearly jumped out of her skin in anxiety when a hand rested on her shoulder; it was Seth. Carolyn tried to offer him a brave face but it was as effective as putting out a wildfire with a teacup.

"So you're here to tell me that you've figured out how Roman is going to Spear eleven guys into next week?"

Seth grinned a little, it seemed she was the kind to make jokes when put under pressure. "We're working on it." He noticed the trembling running through her and while a little unsure at first, opted to put one of his arms around her shoulders and squeezed reassuringly, "The Shield takes care of its own, Walker. You're not stepping a foot between those ropes if we can help it."

"I need a shot of Jack... then a beer."

"I think we all will by the end of this," He chuckled, "The first round is on me."

There was a knock then muted voices before Roman poked his head around the corner a moment after, "Show time."

* * *

Despite his best efforts, Roman could not Spear eleven consecutive opponents and was finally pinned for the first time since The Shield had debuted last year. Ambrose was the next to go, pinned by none other than Dolph himself after hitting him with a Zig-Zag. Rollins looked like he was running on fumes but stepped in the ring before Carolyn could get any crazy ideas. He braced himself as Daniel Bryan started directing traffic and was slowly surrounded on all four sides before being subjected to the pack mentality that had been their own MO for months. It only stopped when an air of surprise seemed to grip the inside of the ring and he looked up; he would have found the sight funny if the situation hadn't been so serious.

With legs scissored tightly around one of the Uso's, Carolyn hung on desperately while she secured the sleeper hold as Jimmy tried dislodging her. What was more unbelievable was that he seemed to be fading, the wrap she had around his waist tightened like the coils of a python every time he exhaled.

_This is such a dumb idea_.

The thought repeated itself over and over again but she had still gone for the move anyway, because as good as he was Rollins wasn't going to last long when he was set on not tagging her in. With her unexpected play chaos started to ensue as Reigns and Ambrose reappeared in an attempt to interfere but were thwarted by Ziggler and Bryan. Jimmy finally managed to free himself as he simply fell backwards onto the canvas, the combination of his weight and the impact driving the air from her lungs forcing Carolyn to let go. It was plain to see he hadn't felt entirely comfortable with the idea but she had left him with little choice about it. With both Ambrose and Reigns out for the count and not even wanting to entertain his last option, Seth tried to reach down and find that little bit extra to get both himself and Carolyn through the predicament they were in, but it ended as quickly as the connection of Daniel Bryan's knee to his head.

The five competitors reached an impasse as the implication of what had just happened rapidly dawned on Carolyn; she was the last one left. The Usos and Bryan looked uncertain of how to proceed now and the hesitation was obvious as they huddled in their corner. It was Dolph who tagged himself in, sparing his team mates from their indecision.

Never in a million years had Dolph ever thought he'd be in the position he was in now as a rapid cascade of emotions hit him. They had been friends for years, had shared each other's beds and he could probably say no-one in the company really knew him as well as Carolyn did. Yet here they were on opposite sides for the first time, and what's more he felt her slipping further and further towards The Shield, whether she knew it herself or not, and he couldn't find one damn way to stop it.

"Don't make me hurt you, Carol." The pleading tone in his voice made it obvious that he hadn't wanted things to come to this, "Just... take the count out. Lie down or something."

Lie down? _Lie down?!_ Carolyn Walker didn't simply roll over and surrender for anyone. Anger flared and clashed with her already overtaxed nerves at his suggestion to simply throw the match. "No. _You_ lie down."

"And then what?" Dolph snapped in retaliation, stalking a few stepped closer, "I don't know if you've noticed, but the numbers aren't exactly on your side here!"

She didn't know if was the adrenaline, anxiety or anger that made her lash out, but before she could even think about it her fist had shot forward, catching him square on the jaw. One looked just as surprised as the other; she had never even thought of hitting him before and hadn't meant to either, she had just thrown the punch out of pure instinct. What followed was like the beginning of a descent into madness as he seized her arm and threw her at the ropes, intending the end of the match to be swift and sudden by putting her down with a clothesline. As she came back at him he didn't bank on Carolyn suddenly dropping to her knees and sliding straight past. He just couldn't get past it, she was actually crazy enough to try her luck at going toe to toe with him when they both knew she was already worn out from her previous match. He turned as she was about to get back up, only to see her slip then all of a sudden get dragged out of the ring.

"The hell are you doing, Ambrose?!"

"We're taking the count out," He replied simply, trying to keep a hold of her, "This was never your fight, Princess, and I'm not letting you turn it into that either."

Dolph watched the retreat of The Shield, Ambrose having to resort to carrying the diva over his shoulder to stop her from doing something stupid. He didn't know whether to be thankful for it or even more pissed off that yet again she had picked their side over his. As Charles Robinson reached the unsatisfying ten count Ziggler couldn't help but wonder if this really was the beginning of the end to the Carolyn Walker he knew and cared for into the slow metamorphosis of one he might not want to...


	10. Chapter 10

True to his word Seth had bought the first round of Jack Daniels and Budweiser when they had managed to find a bar that wasn't jam packed with people. Having not eaten for hours and being physically exhausted, when they reached the third round of bourbon and beer the alcohol hit her hard, bringing her guard tumbling down with it.

"You are a lightweight," Seth grinned.

"Of course I'm a damn lightweight, I don't drink most of the time," She replied, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Also you guys are like... twice my size. Three times in Roman's case. Don't you know how to science?"

"I do," He answered, finding he enjoyed drunk Carolyn. She was rather amusing. "So, what's the story between you and our illustrious COO?"

"He's an asshole. Charming as hell when he wants to be, but a manipulative, lying, cunning, fucking asshole all the same." Picking up the bottle in front of her she drained its last remnants before signalling the waitress for another round for all of them. Throwing the shot back without hesitation she decided to elaborate, "Not many people know it, but he and Steph were going through problems back in '05, then there I was, just a little rookie who still couldn't quite believe she had made it into the WWE."

"Are you saying he tried to..." Roman trailed off, letting the unspoken suggestion speak for itself.

"Fuck me?" Carolyn supplied bluntly, then waved it off, "No. It was Dave that wanted to do that. With both of them being in Evolution at the time it wasn't hard for Hunter to figure it out, though it wasn't exactly as if Dave was being subtle about it. I wasn't interested at the prospect either; he may have been easy on the eyes, but the man would fuck just about anything pretty with a pair of tits and a pulse, and I wasn't about to play STD Russian Roullette." Taking a mouthful of beer she idly fingered a side of the paper napkin the condensation soaked into, "Anyway, Helmsley was more concerned with keeping his belt, so when Batista won the Rumble that year Helmsley wanted him to go to Smackdown and take the WWE title from JBL. At the time upper management didn't quite know what to do with me, so I was bounced between Raw and Smackdown for a little while before Hunter began to pay attention to Dave's, shall we say, affection for me.

"To be honest I was feeling a little lost at the time, my dad had died about six months before I got called up from OVW. Then all of a sudden _the_ Hunter Hearst Helmsley comes sweeping in all charming and sweet and mentor like with no apparent ulterior motives. At least for the first couple of weeks anyway. That's when he started dropping hints about dear Davey Boy. Said that while he respected him, he didn't think he was quite ready at the World title yet and instead of him wasting his shot chasing it I could convince him to go after Layfield."

"So did you?"

"Not gonna lie, at first I did because Hunter has this way with words that just made you feel that you were doing the right thing. Didn't help that I was only twenty three at the time, perfect age for the old addage 'young and stupid'. It wasn't until Randy Orton of all people pulled me aside and showed me just what the hell was going on. Such a shame he turned into an asshole as well... Roman, I forbid you to let this business turn you into an asshole!" She suddenly demanded, going completely off topic.

"What about me?" Seth asked, clearly entertained with her frank inebriation, "And Dean?"

"You're not allowed to be an asshole either," Carolyn declared, pointing in his direction with the neck of the half empty bottle, "Though it might be a little late for Ambrose."

"Oh come on, Princess, that's not fair."

"Do I even sound like a fucking princess to you?"

"Evidently not," He replied casually, "If I had to hazard a guess, an actual princess would weigh less too. Next time Roman is carrying you up the ramp."

Silence rushed in as soon as he said it, Rollins and Reigns decidedly thinking Ambrose had just dug his own grave. Wasn't it some unwritten law to _never_ take a shot at a woman's weight, joke or not? The pair could only watch as Carolyn stared at Dean with a completely unreadable expression before reacting in a most surprising way.

She laughed.

"See, he _is_ an asshole," Carolyn giggled, "You're probably right though, especially if I drink any more of these."

"So what happened between you, Helmsley and Batista?" Roman nudged, trying to steer the topic back on track and away from something potentially volatile. Just because she let something like that slide once didn't necessarily mean it would happen a second time.

"Where was I?"

"Orton."

"Oh yeah. He was still hot about the way Hunter had booted him out of Evolution after he won the title back in... was it November?" She shrugged, not really caring about the minute detail, "Like I said, he helped me open my eyes as to just exactly what game Hunter was playing and suggested what I could do to upset his little apple cart. I played along for a while, got to know Dave about as much as I cared to before proposing he make a run for Helmsley's title at Wrestlemania. When he actually beat him for it and he'd figured out what I'd done, Hunter was livid."

"So if you got the better of him, why do you have such a problem with Helmsley now?"

"I don't take to kindly to people trying to manipulate and use me. Also he's tried to screw with my career a couple of times once he and that ball breaker wife of his smoothed things over." With the story time over and her drink finished she decided she had had enough for the night, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to crash. I'll see you in the morning, gentlemen... and Ambrose." Sliding out of the chair she managed to stay unsteadily on her feet but didn't stay that way for long. Before she could get up close and personal with the floor Dean had stood up and grabbed her, his arm slipping around her waist as she leaned into him for support.

"Guess this is my queue as well."

"Don't be silly, I can make it."

"You can barely stand up straight," He countered, "Left unsupervised you'd probably wander straight into traffic."

With a round of goodbyes they parted ways from Rollins and Reigns then stepped out into the Chicago night. While the bar was within walking distance of the hotel, the journey took twice as long to get there as Carolyn would periodically try to roam towards something that would catch her eye, only to have Dean gently steer her back on track. He was a little unsure how to handle the abrupt one eighty from her sober personality, it was almost as if someone had replaced the stand-offish, caustic Carolyn with a fun and friendly doppelganger. Perhaps a little too friendly. Her arm had slipped under his jacket and around his waist, fingers absently stroking his side through his shirt while she cuddled up against him.

Her mind was pleasantly fuzzy and Dean was just as pleasantly warm, if they weren't moving she would have quite happily fallen asleep on the spot. Even though the show had been rough it had been surprisingly enjoyable to sit down with the three of them away from the arena or whatever else they had to do as part of their jobs. When not surrounded by half a locker room that wanted to bury them, The Shield's intensity was replaced by a laid back camaraderie. "We should have done this whole 'lets get drunk' thing a lot sooner, Ambrose."

"Hate to break it to you, but you're the only one who's drunk."

"Well, yeah. That was... eight drinks in the space of an hour?"

"Two hours."

She simply made some dismissive noise in reply. "Are we there yet?"

He tried not to laugh at just how childish that sounded, "Almost."

When they finally had it made back it took Dean a little effort to open the door and not let Carolyn wander off with the bright idea of knocking on Dolph's door with drunken apologies about punching him in the face during the main event. Aside from the fact that he just didn't want her anywhere near Ziggler to begin with, he had quite enjoyed watching her sock the resident Show Off and didn't think she had anything to apologise for. Closing the door shut with his foot he flicked on the lights and they shuffled into the room and reached the foot of the closest bed. As she began to slip from his grasp and onto the covers he found himself pulled down with her when she grabbed the edges of his jacket, her hands slipping over his shoulders and around his neck as she kissed him. Instinctively he responded, the feel of her nails grazing along his skin when she got under his shirt simply encouraging him further. With no small amount of effort he stopped before things could escalate; he wanted her, yes, but not when she was drunk and all but falling asleep.

"Careful, Princess. You don't want to start something you can't finish."

"Is that so, Mister Ambrose?"

The question was so coy and inviting that he almost caved in right there. Marshalling what was left of his resolve he disentangled himself from her touch much to her intoxicated disappointment and headed for the bathroom; he really needed a cold shower right now...

* * *

_Who was the idiot who let me drink last night?_

When Carolyn woke up the next morning not feeling her best; between the aches and pains from the previous night's battle against Natalya and Tamina followed by the bright idea to go drinking on an empty stomach all she wanted to do was crawl under the nearest rock and not come out for the next month. But despite feeling completely and utterly wretched, her body clock had woken her up around her usual early morning hour and was unable to go back to sleep. She surmised it was some kind of punishment for her own stupidity.

After going through the ritual of sneaking around in an attempt not to wake up Ambrose she headed downstairs. While it may not have quite been cold enough for it she sat in the darkest corner of the restaurant enveloped in the protection of a grey and red hooded sweater and gave a breakfast order to the waiter. As she waited she tried to piece together the evening after the show but gave up as it dissolved into a jumbled, fuzzy mess. She knew she could get a little uninhibited while under the influence, it was part of the reason she barely went near alcohol to begin with, so all she could do was hope she didn't do anything embarrassing. A few minutes later someone sat down in the opposing chair uninvited.

"You look..."

"Like hell?" She offered and looked across the table at Dolph, "If it's any consolation I'm not feeling much better either." She paused as her coffee arrived, then loaded it up with excessive amounts of cream and sugar. "I'm sorry about the whole fist to the jaw thing last night."

Reflexively he massaged the left side of his face where the blow had connected, "I have to say you sure as hell have a mean right hook." He seemed to hesitate for a minute as if trying to pick his words carefully, making her wonder just what was on his mind. "Listen, Carol... I need to know what's going on between you and The Shield."

"What do you mean?"

"First name basis with Reigns, then jumping in to interfere last night to try and bail out Rollins..." He was finding this a lot more awkward than he had thought it was going to be, "Then there's certain... rumours. About you and Ambrose. You're not... you know... with him? Are you?"

The implication of what he was trying to get at had Carolyn choking on a mouthful of hot coffee, which wasn't at all pleasant. "What? No! Why would you even think that?"

"Have you actually watched the programming lately?" He replied, finding himself with the unpleasant discovery of not knowing if he trusted her word or not any more. There was a time when he wouldn't have even thought of questioning it, but they had barely spoken to each other in weeks and he didn't know what to believe right now. "The times when you guys interact makes it look rather... friendly."

"Let me straighten all this out right now. I'm on a first name basis with Roman because he's the only person who's hasn't treated me like a fucking pariah since this whole thing started, which is more than I can say for the rest of the locker room. Second, of course I jumped in to try and help Seth. It was a match and he was on my team, I would've done the _exact_ same thing for you. Third... Really? Never mind what the damn broadcast looks like but... Really? Do _you_ honestly think I'd start fucking Ambrose after only three weeks? That's like me thinking you're actually dumb enough to go back to that psychotic ex girlfriend of yours." She repetitively clenched her fists while reigning in her rising temper. "It's been almost eight years, Dolph. I'd expect a little more trust than that."

Abruptly she stood up just as breakfast arrived and stalked out, leaving Ziggler to sit there and process what the hell had just happened.


	11. Chapter 11

Storming out on her breakfast was something Carolyn was beginning to regret whilst she did her best to ignore the the gnawing sensation in her stomach, focusing on staring out the small window of the plane thousands of feet above the air. As if anticipating her dilemma Seth tapped her on the shoulder, offering a grin and a Granola bar that he had smuggled on board with his carry-on luggage. It wasn't much but it was a damn sight better than nothing at all.

"Not one for airline food?"

"Not really," he replied, ripping the wrapper from his own, "Half the time the trip doesn't last long enough for an in-flight meal anyway. Besides I would've thought you had breakfast by now, Dean says you're always gone whenever he wakes up."

"I was going to, but lost my appetite by the time it got there."

"Why?"

"Nothing that matters now."

He studied her a moment, debating if he should try and pry it out of her but decided against it. If she wanted to talk about it he had a feeling she would and if not, well that was her business. "What do you think Helmsley is going to try next?" He asked, changing the subject as he chewed on his snack thoughtfully while thinking about how Raw had played out for them last night.

"I'm not entirely sure yet," Carolyn admitted, "If I had to hazard a guess, try to turn some of the blame he's been getting back on the locker room; accuse the roster of blaming him for their own shortcomings. Best thing I can suggest right now is pick your words carefully and not to trust him as far as you could throw him. Let him still think you trust him for the time being, the opportunity for retaliation will come eventually."

He nodded and the brief conversation lulled, so pulling her iPod from one of her pockets she unlocked it and started going through endless play-lists trying to find something worth listening to. Sinatra? No, it didn't really feel like a big band moment. She wasn't really in the mood for listening to the guttural growls of something like Amon Amarth either. Kidneythieves or Celldweller? Maybe. Sugar Ray? Robbie Williams? The Ramones? In the end she gave up and sighed, looks like it was time to go hunting for new music soon.

"May I?"

Without thinking much of it she handed the device over to Seth. If she couldn't find anything she wanted to listen to right now was no reason to put him in the same boat.

A couple of seats back AJ looked on as Rollins and Walker went over the finer points of her bizarre music interests, their actions becoming more animated as a friendly debate over one thing or another started up and a scheming smile came to the surface. Carolyn was practically gift wrapping the giant hole she was digging herself into, and the Divas champion was going to exploit it for all it was worth.

* * *

Smackdown had gone pretty much as Carolyn had predicted it would; Hunter had come out at the start of the program and played spin doctor, deflecting the heat he had been getting back on the locker room, proclaiming it as a cover up for their own failures and inconsistencies. Again Dean had gone up against Dolph and once more had beaten him, though this time through interference on the part of Rollins. As a result Helmsley had come out and restarted it as a six man tag match and by the end of it she could help but be impressed by just how well The Shield operated in the ring. It was a rare thing to see that sort of natural cohesion and chemistry, almost as if they knew what each other was going to do before it even happened. Love them or hate them, it was damn fun to watch.

Currently Roman and Seth were out doing roaming the arena, leaving just Dean and herself alone in the locker room watching a monitor. Earlier in the evening the three of them had jumped the Rhodes men, partially at the request of the COO, but more as retaliation for Cody and his brother Goldust ambushing them before the match last week. She found it surprisingly odd that she didn't mind it or spending time in Dean's company any more, Ambrose seemingly having dropped the bone of trying to get under her skin at every available opportunity altogether. She wondered what had caused this sudden change in tactics, but at the same time she wasn't going to complain about it either. It was a nice change of pace not to have that feeling of constantly being set upon grating on her nerves. Still, she had the vague feeling that she had done _something_ last week when they all went drinking and inevitably had to ask.

"Ambrose..."

"Yeah?"

"I didn't do anything... embarrassingly stupid last Monday night, did I?"

Dean didn't answer right away, unsure how she would react to the truth or even if she would believe him to begin with. "Apart from a bit of really bad singing? No." He watched as she visibly relaxed and went back to watching the screen, but his mind was taken back to the kiss they shared that he'd been trying to forget. Her lips had been soft and tantalising, the inviting look through half lidded eyes had been maddening and he was sure he felt his dick twitch at the memory of her warm, eager hands roaming over his skin.

And she didn't remember a damn thing about any of it.

If it had been anyone else he would've taken full advantage of the situation that had presented itself without a second thought, so what made Carolyn the exception to the rule? He had been trying to work it out for the better part of the week but to no avail. Eventually he gave up, figuring he'd sort it out eventually. Tonight they had the Usos and Dolph to deal with and Carolyn was to be pit against both of the Bella twins. It seemed as if Helmsley was trying to get a repeat performance out of her, though this time Ambrose, along with Rollins and Reigns, had been banned from ringside. His lip curled at the idea; he wanted to be there watching the action up close and personal. It turned out he needn't have worried, she had come tearing out of the gate with that mean streak in full force before eventually forcing Nikki to submit with a Fujiwara Armbar, sinking the hold in so deep that it threatened to break the woman's shoulder.

Five Divas in three weeks, it wouldn't be long before she would take what was hers by right; the Divas championship title.

He had to smirk at that, having no intention at all of keeping his end of the bargain he had made with AJ about keeping Carolyn away from her while she held the strap. If the New Jersey nut case couldn't defend it from all comers then she didn't deserve to have it. Besides he suspected she had wanted to put the screws on Walker regardless, considering she had managed to rain over her parade when it came to the break up between herself and Ziggler.

She came back with a subtle, smug grin on her face as she passed through into the bathroom and he heard the sound of the basin tap running a moment after. A couple of minutes later she came back out with face and neck free of sweat and hair tidied, though still carried that fresh glow of competition.

"You look rather satisfied with something."

"And so I should, AJ only has six more days left as champion."

He couldn't help the grin on his face, "Congrats, Princess. You definitely earned it."

"Why thank you, Mister Ambrose." She replied with a small mock bow, "Now if you'll excuse me, I need a drink. I'll be back in a few."

For the first time in weeks Carolyn felt rejuvenated. It had been a long time since she had turned to that aggressive part of her nature, let alone embraced it the way she had tonight, and it had felt so very liberating. For years she had kept it on a tight leash, locking it away deep in her mind so she could tow the company line and play nice with others, no matter how much they got under her skin and deserved the full extent of her sadistic, twisted impulsions. She was free now, and she had The Shield to thank for it. They hadn't once berated her over her actions once it had come out last week, in fact all three of them had encouraged it.

After getting what she came for from catering she was about to leave when Zack Ryder blocked her path, flanked by R-Truth and Justin Gabriel.

"The Shield let you go out without your watchdog now, Walker?"

"If it makes you feel any better I can always go and get him, I'm sure Roman would _love_ to throw you around like a rag doll some more."

"Wait, you're actually taking his side?" He sounded incredulous, "Even after what he did to you? This isn't like you, Carolyn."

"And just what makes you think you actually know me? As for Roman, we've discussed that matter at length and it's now in the past, which doesn't concern you. Any of you," She replied, the look in her eye colder than a Siberian tundra, "What he did may not have been kosher, but the rest of you don't get to say a damn thing about it when you all just simply stood on that stage like scared little boys afraid of getting in trouble with the teacher. Here's a news flash for you, Ryder; I have absolutely no use for boys in my life, only men need apply."

She pushed past them and their stunned expressions to head back, while inside her heart the unleashed she-wolf howled at its long awaited liberty.

* * *

_Short, I know, but it's pretty much been more of the same with the programming the past couple of weeks and I don't want to get too bogged down when Battleground is just around the corner. Next chapter should be long enough for you guys to sink your teeth into. :)_

_In the mean time, especially you Roman and Seth fans, check out my newest story... it also has zombies! Who doesn't love a good zombie plot?_

_Any feedback left on either story will be rewarded with cake... or at least a cookie._


	12. Chapter 12

_I know, I changed the title. Mainly because A- I suck at naming things, and B- The actual definition of what Stockholm Syndrome is doesn't apply here at all. So... yeah. Not really that keen on what I changed it to, but at least it's a little more fitting._

_I'll stop rambling for now. Enjoy!_

* * *

Carolyn could barely sit still as the plane began its descent early Friday afternoon, Battleground was only two days away and to make it all the more sweeter she got to spend the entire weekend in her own bed.

_All over the city and down to the dives  
Don't mess with this place it'll eat you alive  
Got lip smackin' honey to soak up the jam  
On top of the world ma' ready to slam_

I feel safe in New York City  
I feel safe in New York City  
I feel safe in New York City...

Dean nudged her, an amused grin on his face. It was nice to actually see her excited over something. She slipped the headphones down around her neck so she could hear him, "How many times are you going to listen to that song, Princess?"

"Can't help it, I always listen to this or Sinatra's New York New York," She replied, "I have a whole playlist of New York themed songs, actually."

"No place like home, huh?"

"Are you kidding? It's the best city on the planet!"

"Are we going to have to sedate you?" Seth joked from the seat behind them, "It's like you're a little ADD right now."

"You're damn right I'm ADD, I haven't been home in over two months," She said as she twisted around in her seat to look at him, "First thing I'm going to do is head down to Times Square and treat myself to the best pizza in town."

"I want pizza," Roman added from his seat next to Rollins.

"Stick with me, dear, and you won't regret it. I'll show you where all the best kept secrets are."

When the flight finally landed at LaGuardia and people started disembarking it took no small amount of effort on Carolyn's part not to simply run through the terminal. She led they way to baggage claim, dodging and weaving through the crowed masses like it was second nature. Dean had a sudden mental image of her running through the airport with her arms outstretched as a child pretending to be a plane would, and it made him snicker to himself. He was still a little stunned by the shift in her personality at just being home, it was like the woman he had first met over a month a go had never even existed. In fact he hadn't seen that particular side since he had stopped harassing her and they had even began starting to having civil, free flowing conversation every night when it was just the two of them in whatever hotel they were staying at. Nothing deep and soul revealing, but pleasant conversation all the same. Looking back he felt like an idiot about the whole antagonist angle he had been working on, where they were now was so much better and all he had to do to get there was to be nice.

It took a few minutes before the first of their suitcases finally appeared. Roman's was the first, and then Seth's. Dean's was next and finally Carolyn's showed up, but before she could get it Ambrose beat her to the punch. He was rewarded with a smile and as she turned to lead them over to the transportation desk. Seth elbowed Roman and smirked knowingly, causing his tag partner to do the same. Dean caught the exchange and gave them both an expression of mild annoyance. At some point he knew the eventual ribbing would commence and he'd just have to weather it out, so he knew better than to say anything to encourage them further.

"So, where are you guys headed?" Carolyn asked when they caught up.

Seth stole a sideways glance at Dean and grinned, "What, you're not going to invite us over?"

"Entirely up to you."

"Well I don't know what Dean has organised for himself, but we've already got rooms booked," Roman said, "Though I still want that pizza."

Carolyn thought a moment before asking the clerk behind the desk for a pen and pad. Scribbling down her address she then tore out the page and handed it over to him, "Go and get yourselves settled, then catch a cab when you're ready."

With their own destination set and taxi inbound the tag champs left their stable mates to their own devices, though not before Seth mouthed the words _go for it_ at Ambrose when Carolyn had her attention back to the clerk, only to catch them both smirking at Dean a second later as they retreated.

"Something I should know about?"

"Nah," He replied, "Just messing around."

"So where do you want to go?"

"If it's all the same to you," He began slowly, almost cautiously, "I'd like to take you up on that offer. I am so sick of hotel rooms."

"Sure."

Exiting the terminal they caught the next available cab, Dean subtly making a rather obnoxious businessman think twice about trying to cut in. The taxi came to a stop in in front of an old brownstone somewhere in Manhattan that was within reasonable distance of Central Park. After pulling out cash for the fare and waving off the change, Carolyn led Ambrose up the stairs.

"This is you?"

"This is me," She replied, unlocking the door and disabling the alarm system.

"Nice."

Dumping her luggage near the stairs to deal with some time later she invited him to do the same. "Take a seat," She told him with a wave in the general direction of the living room while continuing on to the kitchen, "I'll be back in a second."

Shrugging out of his jacket Dean did a slow lap of the lounge room. Its walls were painted in a olive green and it seemed elegant in its decoration without being overbearingly feminine. A stereo sat in one corner, complete with a record player for old vinyls. Towering bookcases were all but bursting with stuffed shelves, a few paintings breaking up the spaces in between them. The woman definitely liked to read, at least when she had the time, that much was abundantly clear. The closer he got to the television it began to change from books to DVD's, a good chunk of them being split between action, horror and live stand up comedy with a few dramas and animated movies thrown in on the side. The closest thing to a romantic comedy that he could find was Shaun Of The Dead.

"Be still my beating heart." He said quietly at the revelation. A woman who hated chick flicks and loved overly gratuitous, violent action movies; he just might be in love...

Moving on he came across her desk that was home to a few photo fames and a laptop. He recognised her father in a few of them, others taken with people he assumed were friends. He picked one up to study it better; she was standing next to a young man, both of them in wrestling gear showing off the medals around their necks from some regional high school competition and looked to be more than a little excited.

"That's Derek."

He jumped a little and almost dropped the frame, not having heard her approach. "Friend of yours, I take it?"

"Used to be." She traded him the picture for a can of soda. He suddenly felt a little uncomfortable when she became subdued as she looked at it before putting the frame carefully back in its place. "He had gotten a job on one of the upper floors a month before the Towers came down..." The expression on her face became mixed, like she was fighting off the horror of that day with something brighter, "It was thanks to him and his crazy ideas that I ended up breaking my arm when we were kids. He was terrified that Dad was going to kill him."

"What happened?"

"We were somewhere we shouldn't have been, doing things we knew we weren't supposed to be doing." Carolyn smiled despite herself, "There was this really old decrepit tenement building that was scheduled for demolition. We decidedly ignored all the keep out, danger and trespassing signs to explore the place, then I ended up going through some rotted floorboards only to have the room below break the fall. Pretty much a case of it wasn't funny then, but you look back and laugh at it now." She shook off the small but personal moment, she was home for the next couple of days and she wasn't going to spend it moping around the house. "So, we have an entire weekend and a whole city to see. Any idea where you want to go?"

"This is your show, Princess, I'm just along for the ride."

"Winging it it is then. Just need to wait for Seth and Roman to show." She began to move and he followed, "In the mean time, would you care for the grand tour?"

"Lead the way."

* * *

"Does every building down here have neon signs?" Seth asked as they found a place to sit and opened the box of promised pizza.

"Yes, it's actually a requirement as dictated by the zoning ordinance. At last count there's enough of them to potentially rival Vegas." They were all silent for a moment, watching the constant flow of people as they enjoyed the pie. A group of teenage boys had eventually spotted them, taking a few pictures with their phones, and while none really were brave enough to go near them one had the courage to yell out the stable's catchphrase.

"Believe in The Shield!"

Carolyn laughed a little as Seth waved, Roman was busy focusing on his food and Dean just ignored them entirely.

"I'm starting to think feeding Roman that pizza may have been a mistake," Rollins commented as he observed the almost empty box, Reigns had eaten the lion's share of it. "You realise he'll want to come here every single time we're in town now, right?"

"So long as he's paying for the next one, it's all good."

When they were finished the four wandered around a bit, taking in the sights as the evening dusk retreated into night. Somewhere along the line they lost Rollins and Reigns under the guise of 'we'll catch up later' as the tag champs got more and more distracted by certain things before disappearing altogether. Dean knew exactly what they were doing, though Carolyn hadn't seemed to mind that they were now two people short, figuring they were big boys and could take care of themselves. Stepping out near the curb she flagged down a cab, smiling a little at the curious expression that came across his face.

"I want to show you something."

Twenty minutes later he found himself standing on the roof of a large high rise. He followed Carolyn as she wandered to the edge of the building and leaned up against the retaining wall; it was a little windy, but definitely well worth it for the view. The pair simply enjoyed the silence for a while as the city skyline seemingly defied the night with thousands of lights and the noisy streets below had become somewhat muted while they stood so far above it all.

"Ambrose... why did you lie to me on Monday?"

He stilled at the sudden question, had he been so transparent?

"What gave it away?"

"You hesitated," She replied simply, "I don't think I've ever seen you hesitate up until that point."

"Guess I need to work on that."

"Or you can just tell me. Whatever it is I'm not going to get upset with you, I think we've moved beyond that point by now." She sighed a little, then turned to looked at him, he was looking uncharacteristically nervous, "Or has this whole nice guy act you've been doing for the past two weeks simply been another game?"

Unsure of what to do Dean followed his first impulse and kissed her with all the unrequited passion he had managed to keep under wraps, catching her completely off guard, "No more games, Princess," He said softly, his thumbs running across her cheekbones, "I promise." He kissed her again, dialling the intensity down a notch, coaxing her into reciprocating. His hands trailed down the length of her neck, feeling the quickening of her pulse, and down her sides until they came to rest on her hips, tugging her closer to him by the belt loops on her jeans until their bodies finally touched. Her palms came to rest on the firm muscle of his chest with fingers splayed. For a brief second Ambrose thought she was going to push away and he almost panicked, until they moved up over his shoulders and encircled his neck.

"Well I'd say that certainly answers the question." When she finally began to pull away he didn't protest and allowed himself to be led off the roof.

"Where are we going now?"

The smouldering look he was rewarded with sparked a delicious jolt that began to slither in his belly.

"We're going home," Carolyn answered, "You've just started something, Mister Ambrose. You better be able to finish it."

* * *

The door had barely closed before she was all but dragging him upstairs and Ambrose being more than willing to be led into her room and fell back into the soft embrace of the bed. He could feel himself getting aroused as her nails raked down his chest before gripping the hem of his shirt and began tugging on it incessantly. He pulled it off only to have her immediately going back to clawing his skin, red lines marking flesh. A growl emanated from the back of his throat when she rolled her hips against him instinctively and nimble fingers worked the buckle of his belt. Her hand snaked its way into his pants, eliciting a groan from him as she cupped the growing bulge in his briefs. His hands were under her top and roamed over as much of her skin as they could, digging into her hips when she started to pull away, only to have her grab his wrists and removed his hands off her entirely.

He never would have guessed her to be the aggressive type, but he didn't deny that it turned him on no end. He watched her when she stood up, eyes hungry as she stripped revealing toned, flawless skin. His hands moved to his own pants and her eyes narrowed, causing him to stop what he was doing. Grabbing the buckle she looped his belt around her hand once and pulled it free. Taking a hold of his pants she peeled them down his legs, leaving him in nothing more than his underwear. Crawling back on top of him her fingers intertwined with his own and lifting his arms above over his head when he tried to hold her again, the leather biting into his wrists as she bound them together tightly. He tested the security of the bonds she had just put him in and knew he wasn't going to be touching anything unless she allowed it.

"Kinky."

"Shut up, Ambrose."

Dean found himself in the exquisite torture of being able to look but not touch. All he could do was watch while Carolyn explored his exposed self; licking, touching, even biting as she worked out where all his soft spots were. He groaned in a ragged breath as he strained against his bondage, but otherwise kept his hands where they were while his fingers hooked on the edge of the mattress until his knuckles turned white. The feel of her naked body pressed up against him but unable to do anything about it had his trapped, straining hard-on coming to the point where it was becoming painful. He'd wanted her for weeks and now he had finally gotten his wish, though he hadn't expected it to be anything like this. Normally he was the instigator, the one in control as he made whatever girl that was with him squirm and beg; it was a very different thing to have the tables turned on him. The sensation of her damp heat that pressed against him was exasperating and he could feel the smirk on her lips as she kissed him again, the swell of her breasts pressed up against his chest.

"C'mon, Princess..."

"That's not my name."

He didn't want to give in, but the last vestiges of his primal need to be the alpha were crumbling as she continued to pick apart his resistance. Was this some twisted form of payback? One of her hands rested on his hip, the thumb tracing up and down the line of muscle that trailed towards his crotch while nipping and licking his collar bone. He felt the other move lower and come between them, but she had no intentions of fondling him again this time. He was enthralled by the uninhibited display in front of him, watching as she brought herself to the brink only to back off at the last possible moment. One by one he sucked the juices from her offered fingers as the other hand teased his aching need with feather light touches, finally breaking him down.

"Carolyn..."

"Hmm?"

"Let me fuck you."

"No." She smirked again at the sound of his helpless frustration, "You didn't say please."

"Please," He growled.

She pulled free his erection and lazily stroked it as she observed the obvious restraint he was barely holding onto, the muscles in his arms flexed as he continually strained against the makeshift binding of his own belt. "Please what?"

God, she was torturing him, and she was enjoying it too. It took all he had not to simply bring his bound arms down around her and trap her there. As much as he wanted to he had a feeling if he did the whole game would end faster than he could blink, and as frustrating as it was, he very much enjoyed it. "Please," He started, voice a hoarse mix of hunger and desperation, "Let me fuck you, Carolyn."

He felt the tension around his wrists disappear at the same time he was consumed by a tight warmth, her long sighing moan was music to his ears. His now free hands were everywhere, feeling up every inch of her body that he could as he picked up a steady rhythm eliciting some delectable noise each time he buried himself to the hilt. With a fistful of hair he pulled her head back and exposed her throat, returning the favour as he used his own mouth to uncover all her sweet spots. Her skin was hot, burning like a fever hit as his thrusts became harder and faster, spurned on by the feeling of her nails digging into the skin of his back.

"Come for me, Princess." His lips were at her ear, voice ragged and panting as he nipped at the lobe. He could tell she was close, her entire body shook and the feeling he got when she clenched tightly around him almost made him lose it right there. With one hand on her hip the other slid in between her thighs; they were both so close now, but Dean would be damned if he was going to be the first to blow. "Let me hear it."

"Oh... fuck..." The added sensation of his fingers against her was more than Carolyn could take, her arms locking around his neck when the orgasm gripped her. "Oh god... Dean!"

She breathlessly repeated his name over and over again like it was holy scripture, filled with so much unbridled ecstasy it pushed Ambrose over the edge moments after. Her head rested in the crook of his neck as the occasional tremor running through her frame in the afterglow.

"That was..." She had no words, her brain was to scattered to think coherently right now.

"Just the beginning, Princess," He answered as his arms wrapped around her and rolled until he had the dominant position, "You said not to start something I couldn't finish, and I'm just getting started..."

* * *

_GASP! Smut! _

_To be honest I always feel a little weird writing it, I never know if I've gone to far, not far enough, or if the whole thing just reads completely retarded. But I keep trying, 'tis the only way to improve, yes?_


	13. Chapter 13

Dean woke up the next morning feeling a little sore but entirely satisfied as he stared up at the unfamiliar ceiling. His right arm felt numb, like the sensation that it had fallen asleep, and he found the cause as Carolyn using it as a pillow, but the fact that he hadn't woken up alone like he had expected to was nice. She had her back to him so he couldn't see her face from under the curtain of hair that fell over it. Carefully he shifted, trying not to wake her as he wasn't quite ready to give the moment up just yet, reaching over to gently brushed the hair back from the side of her face and neck. His hand lightly trailed over her shoulder and down the arm then along her side before coming to rest on her hip, stopping when she stirred, nose scrunching a little in slight discomfort. He wondered why and took a peek under the covers to find marks conveniently the same size as his fingers. It made him frown, he hadn't meant to get that carried away, though if the aches in his back were anything to go by she had certainly given as good as she had gotten.

It was safe to say last night was one of, if not the absolute, best he had ever spent with a woman. Several times she had challenged him for dominance which he gave up, but also sensed his need for the role as well and relinquished it just as easily. It had been the perfect balance of give and take, leaving him wanting more of it. A lot more. Ziggler had been a fool to leave Carolyn on the wayside time and again, and for who? AJ? _Vickie?_ Dean smirked to himself, he certainly had no intention of making the same mistake.

Carolyn abruptly moved and freed his arm, giving him a measure of pins and needles as the circulation returned unimpeded. Looking over at an alarm clock that sat on one of the bedside tables he finally decided to get up, Rollins and Reigns were due to show up shortly and then they all were to head to a signing event sometime in the afternoon. Placing a soft kiss on her shoulder he slipped out from under the covers and headed towards the bathroom.

Stepping under the warm spray of the shower head he couldn't help but wince at the sting that ran from his shoulders down towards his tail-bone, making him wonder just what it looked like back there. Going through the shower caddy he tried to find something that wouldn't make him smell as if he had just fallen head first into a spring time flower bed but to no avail.

"I believe this may help you out of your dilemma."

He turned to find Carolyn as naked as the day she was born offering up a fresh bar of unscented soap. Instead of taking it his fingers wrapped around her wrist, pulling her under the water with him without so much as a hint of protest.

"One of them, anyway,"

"And just what else would you be requiring, Mister Ambrose?"

"A solution of how to get out of this afternoon's signing session," He replied, placing her hand on his chest, "So we can have the entire day to ourselves."

She got the hint and started working the soap into a rich lather, the bar trailing further and further south as she went. "Unfortunately I'm not a miracle worker. Besides, if I gave you a full day I doubt I'd be able to walk by the end of it." She smirked mischievously as he let out a small groan, his head coming to rest on her shoulder.

As much as he didn't want her to to stop what she was doing he knew had to, "You keep doing that and I'm not going to need a full day, Princess. Unless of course you want Roman and Seth hearing you scream half of Manhattan down when they get here."

"I doubt that." Her knuckles rapped against the wall at his quizzical expression, "I had the place soundproofed a couple years a go."

Eventually Dean managed to pull himself out of the shower and dried himself off. Pulling on his pants from last night he headed down the stairs to see what Carolyn had in the way of food when the doorbell rang. Looking through the side window he saw it was Rollins and Reigns, then opened the door.

"Sweet jesus, what the hell happened to you?" Seth asked when Ambrose turned around. "I know I told you to go for it, but god damn."

"Worth it," Dean said in reply, "However it looks, totally worth it."

And so the ribbing began, but he was feeling far too good to let any of it bother him.

"We've figured out what to get you for Christmas," Rollins grinned from his seat at the breakfast island when Carolyn finally emerged downstairs.

"What might that be?"

"A scratching post," Roman answered, motioning for Dean to turn around.

Angry red lines ran the length of his back, some even overlapping others, accompanied by crescent shaped marks left by her nails. Instead of looking embarrassed she simply shrugged, "He earned it." Turning back to their resident power house she simply offered him a lazy smile, "Don't tell me you've never earned a set of stripes like that for yourself, Roman."

"Maybe," He replied, "But you're stuck with Ambrose now, so you'll never know."

"And as you can tell, I'm absolutely crushed by the prospect."

The banter went back and forth for a good five minutes before someone was at the door again. She found it odd as she wasn't expecting anyone else, and her surprise at her unexpected guest was palpable.

"Dolph?"

"Hi, Carol." He looked a little nervous, like he was unsure if he should even be there, "I was hoping we could talk."

"Hey, Princess, where does a man have to go to get breakfast around here? Your fridge is depressingly empty," Dean called as came up the hallway to see what the hold up was, a wolfish grin spreading over his face. "Ziggler."

His pursed into a thin line, "You have got to be kidding me."

"Don't worry, Ziggler, we're all here." Ambrose replied.

"Dean, you're not helping."

He shrugged nonchalantly and went back to the kitchen as Carolyn stepped outside, though Ambrose's excessively scratched back didn't go unnoticed, "What. The. Hell?"

"What?"

"What? You _are_ fucking him, that's _what_," He spat, "I was actually inclined to give you the benefit of the doubt when you told me otherwise."

"You were _inclined_ to give me the benefit? How very benevolent of you," She snapped defensively, "I fail to see what business it is of yours regardless, you've made it pretty clear over the years that something more substantial was never on your agenda."

"I made it clear? It was a two way street, Carol, you weren't exactly dropping hints either. But seriously, of all people, Ambrose?!" He retorted hotly, "Sorry, _Dean_ now. Who's next on the list, _Roman_? Perhaps _Seth_?"

Something inside finally snapped, she was so tired of trying to fill the role of peace keeper and refused to do it any more. "You are such a fucking hypocrite," Carolyn growled, seething that he would hold her to such a double standard, "You, who has run around with half the fucking female roster, have the nerve to come to _my_ house and accuse me of what, exactly? Infidelity? You want to fight your own battles from now on you're welcome to it, I hope they Triple Power-bomb you into next week." That sadistic anger that had come back alive in recent weeks stirred, and was seeking to find a way to twist the knife with a cruel edge. "I'll also let you in on a little secret, Dolph, you're not even on the same page as Dean. Hell, you're not even in the same fucking library. Now why don't you get the hell off my stairs and go run back to AJ, seeing as you two have seemed to become rather... _friendly_ again the past few weeks."

The cold, harsh tirade left him stunned for a moment, but whatever he was going to come back with was cut off by a calm but authoritative voice marked with a Brooklyn accent.

"Good morning, Miss Walker. Everything all right?"

"Officer Harris, such a pleasure to see you again," Carolyn answered as she turned to the beat cop, "Mister Ziggler here was just leaving."

Dolph looked between Carolyn and the policeman, who gave him an expectant stare with a warning edged into it, then stormed off down the street, "You two deserve each other!"

"Is he going to be a problem?" Harris asked carefully.

"No, I don't believe so. If he does become one I can handle it," She answered, then offered the cop a small grateful smile, "Thanks for your help, Harris."

"All part of the service."

With a tip of his hat he continued on his way and Carolyn slowly sank down to sit on the concrete step, needing a moment to try and regain a measure of composure. A minute later the door opened and Dean took a seat next to her after having gotten dressed. Reaching out he took one of her hands in his own, his thumb tracing absent circles on the back of it. Resting her head against his shoulder she closed her eyes and sighed.

"You were right about the soundproofing. Couldn't hear a damn thing." The attempt at humour fell flat when she didn't reply, so he simply stayed quiet. They didn't move until his stomach finally rumbled, demanding to be fed.

"There's a place near Central Park that does a great breakfast spread, if you guys don't mind the walk."

He stood up and offered her his hand which she took, "Sounds like a plan."

"I need a few minutes first, there's a few things I have to get rid of."

"Such as?"

"I recall you once told me that hot pink isn't my colour," She replied, "I believe I'm now inclined to agree."


	14. Chapter 14

The rest if the weekend passed by without incident and after a few hours Carolyn had slipped back into happy tourist guide mode for a while longer, which included a trip out to Ellis Island to see the Statue of Liberty the next day. Roman, who seemed to have a personal mission to sample food from all five Burroughs, had dragged Seth off to one of the concession stands leaving Dean and Carolyn to sit on the grass and watch the boats drift lazily along the Hudson in front of the impressive, towering backdrop of New York's imposing skyscrapers.

Dean's gaze fell from the water to the loose grip he had on her hand in the grass. "There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about. This reputation you have, for having somewhat of an aversion to being affectionate in public," He said, lifting their intertwined fingers, "It doesn't seem all that well deserved if I'm honest."

"I just think there's a time and a place for everything. Out here, away from the grind of the road, this is my time to spend doing what I see fit and with whom. But when I'm in or around that ring, at a signing, whatever, I'm working. I just don't like mixing the two, it prevents anything overly awkward from occurring. I realise it's a little weird, but no-one has actually ever asked me about it and I never felt inclined to clarify it either." She pulled up her legs that had been stretched out in front of her and crossed them, "As far as I'm concerned, whatever is going on in my personal life is between me and whoever I happen to be sharing it with. The rest of the world can mind it's own damn business."

"You and Ziggler weren't always joined at the hip?"

"God no," She replied, "I won't deny that we had our share of fun, but the man's narcissism can be a bit much at times. Before you came along with that travel itinerary I've never spent so much time around people I worked with unless it was necessary."

It really was as simple as that so he left it alone, satisfied with the answer she had given him. It also partially resonated within himself; before he had become part of The Shield he had very much been the example of a lone wolf. Not because he hated people, but simply because he didn't feel the need to constantly be around them and be reassured of some convoluted social standing he didn't even care for. Perhaps it was a form of introversion, or just an intolerance to bullshit and drama, but whatever it was he could plainly see a part of himself reflected in her.

"Do you ever regret it?" He asked suddenly, "Jumping in the ring that night to save his hide and joining us, I mean."

Carolyn thought a moment before giving him an answer, "At first I thought I'd made the biggest mistake of my career and you certainly weren't helping by being such an antagonistic ass clown. But after what Roman did on Smackdown was when I really started looking at the situation I was in. There was what, twenty guys, maybe more, on the stage that night? And they all just stood there as if there was a squad of Green Berets between them and the ring. I didn't realise it at first, but once I got my bearings back after that night I found myself with a budding feeling of contempt for all of them. They may call The Shield a lot of things, but when it comes down to it you've always been up front and honest about your intentions."

"So... that's a really long winded way of saying no, then?"

She laughed at little, "No, after it's all said and done, I don't regret joining The Shield."

"Listen, there's something else I-"

"Can we please get off this island?" Seth interrupted as he approach them, "If we don't then Roman is going to eat just about damn near everything."

"I think we may have to put him on a diet after this," Carolyn suggested.

"Who's going on a diet?"

Roman had the audacity to ask such a question while holding quite possibly the biggest, greasiest looking kebab Carolyn had seen in quite a while. She laughed, watching as his confusion dawned into realisation. "Oh come on..."

"Dude, it's all you've done since we got here," Seth said, "Any more and you'll have to get new ring gear."

As the pair started bickering like a married couple Carolyn and Dean stood up, it was definitely time to go. "Say goodbye to Lady Liberty, boys. It's the last any of us will see of her in a while."

As they trailed off towards the dock to wait for the ferry Dean wrestled with a growing surge of frustration. He knew there was going to be a certain risk involved, but he needed to tell Carolyn about AJ and his part in her recent interest in her ex. If he could get it all out on the table and explain why he did it before she heard the story from anyone else he was confident that while she might get pissed, she would also understand his motivation at the time and hopefully let it pass. If not then Ambrose had the distinct impression that he would become the next target for that cold anger she had come in repossession of...

* * *

"Carolyn, I'd like a word."

The Shield had barely gotten through the door of the First Niagara Center to find the COO waiting for them. A look passed between herself and Dean before she simply shrugged and handed him her bag then followed Helmsley down the hall. He didn't say anything until they had reached his makeshift office for the event and motioned for her to close the door.

"So, you've finally gotten on the same page as The Shield," He began, "Perhaps even a little more than that, if Ziggler's brooding is anything to go by."

She didn't react, instead she held his gaze with a steady, unwavering one of her own. "How he carries on is his own business. What I do in my personal time is mine."

It wasn't a direct answer but Hunter wasn't stupid. Already more than once the contender for the US championship had been heard muttering her name and the term 'Shield Slut' in the same sentence while being far more agitated than usual.

"What do you want, Hunter?" She asked abruptly.

"I would like to put an end to the long running animosity between us, Carolyn. I think it's been going on far longer than it has had any right to."

"And you expect me to take that at simple face value? Try again."

"Why not?" He replied, "If Shawn and I were able to put our differences aside years a go, I can't see why we can't do the same."

"Aside from the fact I wouldn't trust you as far as I could throw you? Because unlike Shawn I was never part of the Kliq and I'm not your BFF." She sighed, fingers running through her hair, "Can you please just get to the point of why you dragged me in here."

"The Diva's division," He said simply, "I want you to dismantle it."

She paused for a second, unsure if she had actually heard him correctly. "Come again?"

"I need someone to clean house, trim away the fat if you will." Picking up a stack of papers that had been stapled together he handed it over, "Those are the ratings for two months a go. Tell me what you see."

She studied the numbers and their corresponding matches and segments. "It drops off when there's a Divas match. So what? It's not exactly news that people treat the whole five minutes we get as an intermission. If anyone is to blame for that it's management and their lack of foresight for any real talent."

He ignored the barb and picked up another stack then traded it for the one she had, "These are the ratings for the past few weeks, specifically around the time you started competing under The Shield's banner."

Again the information was laid bare and what she found surprised her. After the match with Kaitlyn, it seemed whenever Carolyn had a match the rating would spike compared to the other Divas. "People... are actually watching?"

He nodded, "And it's all because of you. Having you out there is good for business." He reclaimed the information and put it on his desk, "I'll be honest, for a long time I've thought of the Divas division as nothing more than simple T&A."

This elicited a derisive snort, "You don't say."

"Can I finish, please?" She held her hands up at his mildly irritated tone of her interruption, then continued. "The day you came out of the gate with that... mean streak, it was like the equivalent of grabbing people by the throat and forcing them to pay attention. You've shown them that it's more than swimsuit contests and pillow fights. In a way... you kind of remind me of Joanie. Before she decided to flush her life down the toilet, of course."

He was actually comparing her to Chyna in the peak of her career? That was something she never would have expected. Despite how the relationship ended between two of DX's founding members, Helmsley had never denied the talent Joanie Laurer had before she eventually quit.

"If you want me to do this," Carolyn said slowly, unable to completely trust his motives, "Then there's something I want in return."

"Which is?"

"You know what."

He smirked a little, having anticipated her inevitable demand should she accept, "It will be here tomorrow, if you can pick up the victory tonight. We updated it a little, but I think you'll like the overall changes."

"Then we have a deal."

He held out his hand, waiting patiently as she hesitated before accepting the handshake. "You see, Carolyn? Things work so much better when we can get along."

She left his office, wondering if she had walked blindly into another one of his games and if so, when would the trap spring shut. It was too late to back out now in any event, so she tried to put it out of her mind for the time being.

"Something wrong?" Dean asked from his position leaning against the wall opposite the door where he had waited, "You look a little troubled."

"No, not troubled, exactly. Just wondering what I've gambled this time."

"Seems to be a habit of yours. We should go to the Strip next time we're in Vegas."

They headed down the hall, close but not actually touching as Dean respected her simple rule of keeping work and play separated. His eyes darted around their surroundings, trying to find a quiet place where he could come clean without being overheard. As the clock ticked down to the beginning of the show he knew his time was running out for the opportunity.

"I don't want to be out here."

The quiet statement made him stop what he was doing, "Why?"

"Look at them," She replied, "Seems Ziggler has been running his mouth and by now I have no doubt I'm apparently the biggest tramp on the roster. Kind of ironic when you consider the source is the locker room's biggest man whore."

He paid closer attention to the people around them and started to spot the odd look here, a conspicuous whisper there that suddenly stopped when the gossip was noticed. "Don't let it get to you. It's hard for sheep to understand what it's like to run with wolves."

Running with wolves. That's certainly how it had felt like to begin with when she first started down this path. "Learn to bite or be eaten, huh?"

"That's it," He smirked, "And holy hell, Princess, you have one killer set of fangs."

She seemed to relax a fraction and they made it back to the locker room without incident. Roman and Seth were in one corner going over possible strategies for their match against Cody and Goldust, though seeing as their titles weren't on the line they were free from that particular added pressure. Ambrose sat down and simply watched as Carolyn strapped on the last of her gear, having finally had some pieces made to keep more in line with The Shield's overall military black-ops aesthetic. The leg guards over her boots were vaguely reminiscent of police riot gear, though minus the hard, heavy duty protective plastic. Forearm protectors looked like more of the same with The Shield's embroidered Cerberus patches stitched onto the backs of her hands. Dean felt struck by a certain sense of pride at the sight as she finished it off with a pair of dog tags like the rest of them wore; she was one of them now and wasn't afraid to show it.

Looking up at the clock on the wall his earlier trepidation reminded him of what he needed to say, and in the confines of The Shield's locker room was about as much of a quiet spot as he was going to get. Leaving the tag champs to their planning he motioned for her to follow him, leading Carolyn to the far end of the shower stalls. She leaned against a stall with her hands behind her back and waited patiently as he began to pace in the few feet of space, wondering if he was finally getting around to whatever had been the source of his distraction since they left Ellis Island.

He stopped and looked at her, finding calm curiosity staring back at him. Unable to help himself he stole a kiss then rested his forehead against her own, his fingers tracing along the line of her jaw. "I did something really, really stupid a few weeks a go."

"You did a lot of stupid things a few weeks a go," Carolyn replied, starting to feel a little uneasy by his uncharacteristic nervousness, "Care to be a little more specific?"

"It's about AJ and her recent attitude towards Ziggler," He finally answered, taking a step or two back, "There's something you should know..."


	15. Chapter 15

The sound of the slap was loud in the confines of the locker room showers and had been so fast Dean never saw it coming.

"You. Are. An _asshole_."

His hand reached for his jaw, trying to massage the sting out from where the blow had landed. "I know, I'm sorry."

"You're _sorry_?" She hissed, "Just what in the hell were you hoping to achieve?"

He was stuck on how to answer that. When he had hatched the idea it had been nothing more than another way to get under her skin and drive a wedge between herself and Ziggler. But things had changed so much in the month that had passed since then that he had actually forgotten about it for a while until Dolph had shown up on her doorstep yesterday morning. If he had known that Ziggler would ultimately be the one to burn the bridge himself he wouldn't have bothered with any of it.

For every step he took to try and get closer she retreated until he got the hint and stopped. Before the conversation could go any further there was a knock on the door, then Seth appeared. He looked between the two and whatever they had been talking about had left the air uncomfortably heavy.

"Time to go, Carolyn," He said, "Your match is in a few minutes."

She threw Dean one last scathing look and stalked out. By the time she was through in the ring AJ would be hoping her healthcare would cover the damage.

The Divas champion stood in the ring waiting for her challenger to show, the match between herself and Carolyn was special on few levels in its representation. WWE against The Shield. The champion's crazy unpredictability clashing with the challenger's unforgiving fury. And on a more local level, New Jersey versus New York.

The Shield emerged and there was a mixed but still notable pop when Justin Roberts introduced the contender; everyone loved a hometown hero. Carolyn, for the first time, was in the lead of the group. Stopping at the top of the stairs she turned to them, Roman and Seth giving her nods of unspoken confidence before leaving but as Ambrose went to take a step forward when she stopped him in his tracks with a frosty glare.

"No."

He wasn't happy with her refusal to allow him at ringside, but considering it could be a lot worse right now he didn't challenge it either. The only choice he had at the moment was to let her blow off some steam and see how it would play out. After a moment he followed the direction Rollins and Reigns had disappeared to.

"It seems like there might be a little unrest in the camp of The Shield," Jerry observed as Carolyn marched down to ringside alone.

"_Or_ maybe it's simply in the interest of fairness," JBL defended, "Walker has never needed anyone in her corner to get the job done, and this is simply proving that point."

"So you're picking Carolyn to win tonight, John?" Cole asked.

"Only a fool would bet otherwise, Michael," He replied, "I've said it once and I'll say it again; this woman smells like smoke because she's been through fire. AJ has been a great champion, I won't deny that, but as erratically crazy as she is, the difference is in Walker's experience. Carolyn knows how to employ in-ring psychology a lot better, especially when you consider she first learned her tricks from the best of them. I wouldn't be surprised if she managed to turn AJ's craziness to work against her."

The two argued the merits and strengths of each woman while they stared each other down; AJ with her slightly deranged smile and Carolyn with a stone cold stare that was down right icy. The beast inside was snarling, straining against the chain and demanding payment for the punishment due. Carolyn was going to do more than simply dismantle the Divas division, she was going to completely annihilate it, only to rebuild it around the simple law of survival of the fittest. She began to pace as the official looked between the two, making sure each was ready before calling for the opening bell.

As soon as it rung Carolyn charged, her size and strength giving her a distinct advantage in the power struggle she forced AJ into before tossing the champion across the ring. She followed it up with a heavy kick, then another, driving the champion into the corner until she was finally herded off by the referee. She pushed back past him and hauled AJ back to standing by a fistful of hair, then smacked her with an uppercut. In a show of complete disrespect she slapped the champion in the face a couple of times.

"Where's this dangerous crazy woman I've heard so much about?" Carolyn taunted, and AJ bared her teeth at the provocation, trying to muster some form of offence that was quickly shut down. "Come on, surely you can do better than that. You're supposed to be nuttier than a fruit cake. Have a few bats in the belfry. Can't say I'm impressed so far."

"Shut up!" AJ screamed as she launched herself at her opponent, fingers bared like claws and took them both down to the mat. She managed to slam Carolyn's head several times against the canvas before she was bucked off. She scrambled back over to try and keep the momentum only to eat the contender's boot. Carolyn shook her head a little and gathered her wits, then rolled her weight back on her shoulders a little, finding her feet with a kip-up.

"So far this contest has been very one sided," Cole commented as the vicious punishment continued, "AJ has barely been able to amount any sort of momentum at all."

"How could you expect anything different?" Layfield asked, "After the roll Carolyn has been on the past few weeks? She's going to tear the whole division down at this rate."

"Not only that but I think she's been taking a few cues from Ambrose," King added, "She certainly hasn't been shy with trying to poke the hornets nest with trash talk."

Carolyn found herself getting suddenly bored, trapped within the confines of the match rules as she was. She wanted more, she wanted to make sure AJ would never be stupid enough to involve herself in anything she was concerned with again. She wanted a statement. AJ once more tried to come at her, coming fast off the ropes but she ducked, catching the champion with a high knee on the return trip. Pulling her back up she gave her one last knee to double her over then hooked her arms before finally finishing it with the tiger driver.

"And just like that, we have a new champion!" JBL declared, "Wait... what's she doing now?"

The match may have been over, but Carolyn wasn't quite through. Tossing the belt carelessly to one side she opted to drag AJ back up only to put her down again with a second tiger driver, then slid to the outside of the ring and started peering under the apron cover. A chair was the first to go sailing over the rope clattering noisily on the canvas, followed by a trash can and finally a table before she seemed to pause. With a slow sadistic smile she slowly pulled out the pièce de résistance and allowed the heavy head of a sledge hammer to fall lazily against the steel steps. She would save that for later however, that was for a special statement when she was done. When she was finished selecting her toys she slid back into the ring and pried something out from the inside of her left leg guard.

"I don't like where this is going," Cole stated with a wary tone as Carolyn held the handcuffs up for the world to see before shackling the former champion. "Isn't anyone going to stop it?"

"You've got one hell of a dangerous woman in there with a bunch of weapons, Michael, and she knows how to use every single one of them," Layfield replied, "And you can be assured that the rest of The Shield won't be far away."

AJ was beginning to stir, her awareness rushing in with sharp clarity when she realised she couldn't move her hands from behind her back. She looked around wildly, her eyes falling on Carolyn who towered above her with the trash can.

"You think you know the crazy game, AJ, but in reality you don't have a clue," The new champion sneered, "Allow me to educate you on what true remorseless lunacy is."

The New Jersey native tried desperately to back pedal but her escape was put to a halt when Carolyn savagely stomped one of her ankles, then the other. The pain made her sit up as she pulled her legs toward her in an attempt to avoid another attack only to have the world go dark as she was swallowed by the confines of the metal barrel. She felt on the verge of panicking as she felt Carolyn's weight circle her once or twice, then the darkness was filled with awful noise and pain. It struck again, over and over until it stopped just as suddenly as it had started, leaving her unsure if it was a curse or a blessing.

Carolyn took a step back to observe the handiwork she had hammered into the can, now scarred with several dents from the kicks she had slammed into it. Her legs tingled, but the protective padding had taken the brunt of the abuse. It had felt somewhat cathartic, but something was missing. With one hand she picked up the chair, then removed the can with the other. Again she tried to crawl away, but Carolyn merely took hold of the chain links of the cuffs and dragged her back to the centre of the ring.

She crouched down in front of AJ, using the chair as a prop while she held the other woman by the throat to force her into eye contact. "Do you want to know why I'm doing this?" The only response AJ could muster was to tremble as she looked between Carolyn and the weapon, she had a pretty good idea. "It's because you were actually dumb enough to get involved in my affairs. Did you honestly think Dean could stop me from taking the belt, even _if_ he actually wanted to?" Standing up she wound the chair back before bringing it down with brutal force across her back and all AJ could do was scream.

As she readied a second swing the shocked and outraged masses suddenly exploded excitedly. Watching as Dolph sprinted down the ramp Carolyn made a hasty exit, picking up the belt and sledge hammer along the way. He checked on AJ, moving out of the way as the medical staff moved in and got her out, then turned his attention up the ramp to find Carolyn backtracking a little at a leisurely pace with the hammer slung casually over one shoulder and her new title in the other while seemingly admiring her handiwork. When she stopped she held the silver butterfly high before laying it flat on the floor, then gripped the sledge with both hands.

As the crash of metal on metal resounded loudly no-one could quite believe the wanton destruction of the only title the Divas had to compete for. Again and again the hammer came down with all the strength and fury the champion could muster until finally burning itself out. Leaning on the hammer as if it were a cane she hoisted the title once again, the belt irreparably bent and broken. He slid under the rope, determined to force a confrontation; whatever their problems she had gone way over the line this time. When she hefted the hammer he froze, would she actually have the nerve to try and put him down with it? The way she was grinning at him, then pointed to her left... something didn't feel right.

As he turned Roman charged from a three point stance and took him off his feet with a wicked Spear. Rollins then joined the fray and tag champions attacked with a relentless energy until finally she decided to call them off. Between the two of them shoved him in the ring then dragged Dolph to his feet, in his current state there was no way he'd be able to compete in his match for Ambrose's title tonight. Hooking a finger under his chin she studied him for a moment and slowly smiled.

"It really didn't have to come to this, you know. But, in a way, I think that I should thank you. For the first time in years I finally feel as if I truly belong somewhere in this company," Carolyn said casually, then slowly backed away to find that Dean had joined them. The Triple Power-bomb was executed with ruthless efficiency and she crouched next to his unmoving form, leaving him with some final words.

"Believe in The Shield."

* * *

_If this reads like I simply pulled the chapter out of my ass it's because I probably did. Have to love inspiration that strikes in the middle of the night..._


	16. Chapter 16

The Shield had left the arena as soon as they had all competed, Rollins and Reigns heading back to their hotel while Carolyn and Dean shared the longest, most quietest cab ride he had ever experienced. Occasionally he would look over to find her staring absently out the window, but her expression was completely neutral and was unable to get any sort of handle on what was going through her head. Eventually he gave up, whatever happened at this point was going happen. The taxi finally rolled to a stop with Ambrose picking up the tab and as soon as Carolyn was through the door she marched upstairs without a word.

She showered, her initial anger had finally worn itself out allowing her to begin looking at the situation Dean had designed from as much of an objective point of view as much as she was able. Yes, he had instigated the problem, but he wasn't solely to blame either. No-one had forced either AJ to agree to it or Dolph to be led around by his nose when he knew full well that having anything to do with her was a bad idea. Then there was the dynamics between both Ziggler and Ambrose, and how much her relationship with each had drastically changed in what had been a surprisingly short amount of time.

She had known that Dolph had issues with her whole idea about The Shield from the start, but she never expected this level of jealousy from him. She hadn't even had the chance to think about the repercussions of spending the night with Ambrose before he had showed up Saturday morning, but now they seemed abundantly clear. They were officially on opposite sides of the fence now and there was no looking back. It made her wonder if his feelings towards her had run a lot deeper than he had ever been willing to admit or he just didn't like the idea of her being with anyone else; especially Dean Ambrose. For his part Dean had done a complete one eighty on his original behaviour; having gone from his original obnoxious, vexatious, provoking attitude to the man she had come to know and had eventually chosen to share her bed with. But did she really know him at all? He had promised an end to any more games, but could she actually trust that he was telling the truth?

She couldn't help but sigh; men had the audacity to say women could be exasperating creatures...

When she emerged wrapped in the cover of a large, fluffy grey towel she found Dean sitting on the edge of the bed, absently staring down down at his hands. He looked completely and utterly miserable, there was no other way to describe it. As pissed off as she had been with him, it looked like he was beating himself up over it quite effectively without need of her assistance.

He closed his eyes as her fingers pushed the hair from his face and ran along his scalp, brushing the edges of his ears and then cupped his jaw, lifting his head so he had to look her in the eye. He wished she would say something, anything, even if it was to simply reiterate that he was the world's biggest asshole. The silent routine was killing him.

"If you ever try and manipulate me or orchestrate something like that again," She finally said, "We're done."

He was surprised by just how calm she was now compared with her original outburst, "I'm sorry. It's all I can say."

"Since you got your ass handed to you by a sixty eight year old man tonight that's probably punishment enough."

There was a trace of humour in her words despite the straight face, "Found that funny, did you?"

"Maybe a little. Would it help if I said you deserved it and we're even now?"

"If it means I'm out of the doghouse you can say whatever you want."

"I don't think I'd go quite that far yet," She replied as he stood up, "But I'm sure you can figure out how to earn that privilege."

His hands ran over her bare shoulders and down her arms, noticing how soft and warm the hot water had left her skin before taking her hands in his own. He draped her arms over his shoulders as one of his hands went the back of her neck, his fingers working small circles and almost immediately felt her start to relax. He smirked a little at the mewling noise she made when he reached between her thighs, it sounded so unexpectedly, helplessly adorable. With a soft moan her head tilted back, causing Dean to grin even more; he loved how responsive she was, if she liked something she didn't hesitate to let him know. "Will this get me out of trouble?"

Carolyn's arms tightened around his neck as his fingers transitioned from lazy circles into something more insistent. "Maybe."

"I can always stop," He replied, nipping at her neck and tugged away the towel, "Do you want me to stop, Princess?" Her answer was to simply shake her head but he wasn't going to accept that, he wanted to hear her say it. "If you don't give me an answer I'm going to assume it's a yes."

Dean started to pull his hand away, only to have her seize his wrist. "No."

"No?" His other wandering hand found her breast and gently squeezed, "No what?"

"Don't stop." The answer coming out as a pleading whine, "Please don't stop."

He slipped one of his fingers inside her, then a second, slowly working Carolyn up to the breaking point only to deny her at the last moment. With a frustrated sound she bit him in retaliation, feeling a small measure of vindication when he grunted from the discomfort. When she tried to unbuckle his belt he stopped her and held her hands behind her back in one of his own.

"Do you forgive me?"

"Yes."

"Do you want me to fuck you?"

"_Yes."_

When his pants hit the floor he picked her up, legs locking around his waist as he turned and climbed onto the bed. Carolyn looked up at him through half lidded eyes as he towered over her and peeled off his shirt, finding his expression of hunger and desire both empowering and thrilling. When he finally claimed the kiss it was dominant, eliciting a moan from the back of her throat as he entered her at the same time. He set a slow pace, relishing every single pleasured noise he could get her to make as he bought her back to the edge of release, but still he wasn't quite ready to give her what she so desperately wanted. She tried to hit him for it, only to have him pin her arms down above her head.

"Tell me what you want, Carolyn."

"I want you." It almost sounded like she was on the verge of tears when she answered, "Make me come."

The words dripped with so much unashamed need that it turned him on even more than he had thought it would. Prying apart the grip her legs had around him, Dean set her feet on his shoulders and leaned forward while taking his weight on his hands either side of her own, the position enabling him to bury himself as deep as he could get.

She couldn't even remember why she had been angry with him at all after that.

Carolyn had never screamed before. She swore, cursed, begged, pleaded and got rather vocal in general, but never actually screamed. But as Ambrose threw away all pretence of anything slow and steady in favour of a hard, almost frenzied rhythm that's exactly what she did. She screamed to god, she screamed unintelligible things, and when she felt Dean reach his own end she screamed his name loudest of all.

Spent and shaking she couldn't find the energy to move as she felt him pull away. Having become used to Dolph's habits, Carolyn half expected Dean to casually toss a towel on the bed so she could clean herself or hear the shower start up, but he did neither of these things. Instead he lay down next to her, arms snaking around and held her close, his chest damp with sweat against her back as he placed a kiss at the top of her spine. Before long both had drifted off to sleep, neither one moving for the rest of the night.

* * *

"Come on, tell us what's in the case."

"You'll find out soon enough."

"That's not fair."

"I bet Dean knows."

"Don't go dragging me into it."

Seth and Roman had been spending the last fifteen minutes trying to pry out of Carolyn just what the contents of the black case Helmsley had wordlessly given her when they had shown up at the CONSOL Energy Center. They were currently waiting for the cue to make their appearance so Carolyn could answer the demands made over her actions at last night's Pay Per View. A minute later the music started up and the four of them promptly headed down to ringside. When they all came over the barricade Carolyn had a quick word in Roman's ear, who then shot her a look of curiosity before searching under the apron and pulled out a trash can then tossed it into the ring. As Carolyn collected a mic and set the case on the mat Ambrose and Rollins made themselves comfortable in opposite corners of the ring and Roman slowly paced, waiting patiently for the new champion to quickly straighten out her thoughts before saying her piece.

"All I've been hearing for the past twenty hour hours is one simple question- why? The answer is easy. This oversized Barbie doll accessory stands for everything that is wrong with the current state of the... ugh... 'Divas' division." Carolyn stopped a moment to contemplate the destroyed pink and silver butterfly, a mix of contempt and disgust crossing her face. "All cheap flash and absolutely no substance. Something so boringly, blandly cookie cutter that it should be criminal and, just like the insect it's designed after, so contemptuously weak. It has no legacy, its history is barely worth remembering and is a slap in the face to what came before it. I, for one, refuse to carry it a second longer than I have to." Holding the ruined belt high she then dropped it into the empty can with a small smirk of satisfaction.

"Now, you're all wondering what happens next. After all, what is a champion without a belt to defend?" Reigns stopped his pacing as Carolyn handed over the case for him to hold out, watching as she fiddled with the catch and opened it up. Highly polished gold glinted warmly under the lights as she held up an updated, modern design of the last Women's Championship. "Now this. This has a legacy. Names like The Fabulous Moolah, Wendi Richter, Alundra Blaze, Trish Status, Lita, Ivory, Chyna, Molly Holly, Mickie James, Beth Phoenix... It has history. _This_ is worth fighting over. I'm here to bring memorable competition, tenacity and excitement back to the w_omen's_ division that had floundered in suffocating obscurity for too long. Consider me a... revolutionary, if you will. And like all revolutions there needs to be that definitive moment where people look back and say 'that's when things changed'. Battleground was that moment, and anyone watching had the privilege of being witness to it."

"As for what I did to AJ last night, it's simple really." She smirked, the expression cold and calculating, "Apart from the fact that I just _really_ enjoyed it, there is no room for weakness any more, and anyone who comes for me can expect more of the same. Welcome to the jungle, ladies, where the new rule is survival of the fittest. You all better learn to bite or get ready to be eaten alive."

* * *

_A little more smut practice, and what better excuse than make up sex? It seems Ambrose has this ability to make my mind fall into the gutter quite easily. Not that I really think any of you object to it of course..._


	17. Chapter 17

_This really was a drill through rock and blast it out with charges type chapter, so I'm glad to finally be done with it... Been my whole week when it comes to writing, actually._

* * *

"What?"

"I didn't say anything."

"Then what's with the idiotic grin?"

"Just never thought I'd see the day where Dean Ambrose would get so completely and utterly pussy-whipped."

"Would you just stop already?"

Carolyn had been summoned to see Stephanie McMahon about putting Brie Bella in the ring with her, though one half of 'Twin Magic' wouldn't be informed of this until the last minute, while Roman was roaming the halls, so Rollins had been having his fun with Ambrose in the mean time. Having gone through NXT together they had known each other for a while now and not once had Seth seen Dean react in such a way to a woman before. Sure, he liked to chase, but once the hunt was over he quickly lost interest and that was the end of it. He had chased Carolyn and he had gotten what he wanted, but instead of losing interest Ambrose was still firmly infatuated with the newly crowned Women's champion. That's when it hit him.

"You're falling in love with her!"

Dean shot Seth a rather annoyed look but refrained from rising to the bait any further. Seth merely smirked at him like the cat who had caught the canary, "If the next word out of your mouth is some form of denial, then you wont mind if I start hitting on her."

That earned Rollins a rather venomous glare in response, Ambrose's answering retort interrupted when Roman returned looking a little distracted.

"What's with you?"

"I just saw Carolyn walking into an empty room with Ziggler," He replied, as if the sight slightly confused him.

Irrational aggression flared within Ambrose at the idea. It wasn't as if he had a reason not to trust her, but Carolyn had made a point of it to ignore all the calls and texts that were borderline harassment for the past week; so why the turn about in behaviour?

Almost as if he knew what Dean was thinking, Reigns elaborated, "She didn't seem to thrilled by whatever he confronted her with, looked more annoyed than anything. Perhaps she figures if she lets him say his piece he'll finally back off."

Dean didn't believe that for a second, as far as he was concerned Dolph was yesterdays news and had blown his chance. "Where are they?" He asked, the question coming off harsher than he intended.

"Down the far end of the hall, second door on the left."

Without another word Dean stood up and marched out, he was going to put an end to this crap right now.

* * *

"Carol-"

"Whatever it is, I'm not interested."

"Just give me a minute. That's all I ask."

"Fine. What do you want?"

"I'd rather not do this in the hall."

"Would you be more comfortable on my front doorstep, then?"

Dolph had the decency to look a little guilty at that. The PPV weekend and been somewhat emotional and he hadn't meant to lose his cool the way he did, but the very idea that he had been replaced by Dean Ambrose was something he couldn't accept. In the week that passed since she had made it pretty clear that she had no interest in talking to him at all either, having ignored every single text, call and just about anything else he could think of. The only thing left was a direct confrontation; they had known each other for the better part of a decade and he wasn't ready to simply let that go just yet. "Please, for old time's sake."

With a roll of her eyes she knocked on the door of the closest room but got no response, finding it empty when she opened it. "After you." Leaning up against a row of lockers with arms crossed she watched him pace a little, "Your minute is ticking, Dolph."

"Look, I know things have gotten crazy the past couple of weeks and we've probably both said some things we didn't mean to," He stopped a moment, running a hand through his hair. This wasn't coming out how he wanted. "What I'm trying to say is-"

"If the next thing you say is 'I'm sorry' I'm going to punch you in the throat." He turned at her interruption, finding open hostility in her eyes, "Do you really think that it will fix anything? You don't think I haven't picked up on the new favourite name of 'Shield Slut' the locker room has for me thanks to you running your mouth? The derogatory stares and snickering, or the rumours that there's some sort of gratuitous gang-bang going on behind closed doors? I know and freely admit to being a lot of things but a whore is not one of them, you damn well know that better than anyone."

"Why Ambrose though? Out of all the men on the entire planet, why him? This is the guy who made it his mission to make your life miserable, so in return you start fucking him? Forgive me if I can't see the logic in that." He took a few steps towards her and she stood up straight, "Or is the simple truth really that you actually get off when a guy acts like that big of an asshole?"

Her eyes narrowed in contempt, "If that was the case then you'd certainly have nothing to worry about. Your minute is up. We're done."

His arm shot out and blocked her path as Carolyn attempted to push past him. He was going to make her listen if it was the last thing he did. "No, we're not. I'll be damned if I let you throw almost eight years away like it was nothing."

"This wasn't a marriage, Dolph!" She hissed, "It was a friends with benefits deal; something you took full advantage when you ran around sticking your dick into half the women's locker room, I might add."

"You think I'm just going to let you run around with _Ambrose_? No way." Again she tried to get past him only to get shoved back against the empty lockers, pinning her there as he gripped her arms. She tried kicking at him but he twisted to avoid it, his knee coming between her legs to keep her off balance.

"Get your damn hands off me!"

"Not until you start listening."

"Are you fucking high? What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Before Dolph could reply or react he was blind-sided and driven into the opposing wall. After a few chaotic moments Rollins and Reigns came through the door, peeling off a furious Ambrose with more than a little effort as the US champion strained against the hold they had on him.

"Lay even one finger on her again and I'll break you in half," Dean growled, feeling a small measure of dark satisfaction as Ziggler slowly sat up and wiped away the blood seeping from a busted lip. When he was no longer chomping at the bit to rip Dolph's head off Roman and Seth slowly let him go, half expecting him to jump straight back into it. Instead he turned his attention to Carolyn and promptly took her back out into the hall and towards the sanctuary of The Shield's locker room.

Carolyn sat down as soon as the door closed, running her fingers through her hair and sighed. The whole scenario had been slightly disconcerting, she never would have expected Dolph of all people to get so obsessively jealous. Would he have gotten this bad if it had been Seth or Roman instead of Dean? Somehow she doubted it, the animosity between the two was more than a little evident. Her start towards over-analysing stopped just as abruptly, flinching instinctively when Ambrose ran a finger down the exposed skin of her upper arm. The dark marks were prominent and were more than likely going to bruise, so she was unsurprised that they had caught his attention.

"Terrific, that's all I need."

Dean thought for a moment before digging through his bag, coming back a moment later with the black tape he usually wrapped his hands in. He gripped her wrist and raised her arm until she quickly got the general idea and held it out, watching as he wrapped the tape firmly around one bicep and then did the same to the other. It was a close fit but it did the job, no-one would be any the wiser unless they had caught a glimpse of the manhandling evidence beforehand. Seeing as the hallway had been fairly deserted he was confident that this would remain the case.

"Thank you."

"No need for that," He replied, "So... care to tell me what all that was about?"

"Reader's Digest version- He's losing his mind. He can't seem to get over the fact that it's over."

"Well if he comes near you he'll lose the use of his legs next." He was still clearly agitated as he couldn't quite refrain from fidgeting, but just having heard Carolyn say that she was through with Ziggler seemed to calm him somewhat.

"You know, if you continue coming to my rescue like that I might have to re-evaluate the whole you being an asshole thing," Carolyn said with a slight smile in an effort to distract him from his current desire of wringing Dolph's neck, "The concussion, the handy-cap tag match, that little incident right now... What is a woman to think, Mister Ambrose?"

He raised a brow before smirking a little, but kept the answer to himself as Seth and Roman walked in.

"You ok?" Roman asked as he eyed the tape around her arms.

"I'll be fine," Carolyn reassured him, "It's going to take more than that to really rattle my cage. Besides, I have you guys if I ever do step too far in it."

A sense of normalcy returned and they all turned their focus on their respective matches for the night. The Tag Team titles were on the line tonight, unlike Battleground, so Seth and Roman were determined not to have a repeat performance...

* * *

Brie stood nervously in the ring mere minutes after Stephanie had approached her backstage to inform her not only was she facing the new Women's champion but her sister was also banned from ringside. The Shield however had no stipulations placed on them and it was something Carolyn had taken advantage of when all four of them arrived at ringside and the guys chose to stay, much to the disapproval of Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler.

"There's no reason for Ambrose, Rollins and Reigns to be here at ringside," The King proclaimed with a mild air of disgust.

"They haven't even done anything!" JBL countered, "Name me one instance of The Shield interfering in this match so far."

"Come on, John, the intimidation tactics are blatantly obvious," Cole said, "Besides, weren't you the one that said Carolyn doesn't need anyone in her corner?"

"And she doesn't, Michael," Bradshaw rebuked, "But that doesn't mean that the rest of The Shield can't be down here as simple support."

As the trio of commentators bickered back and forth it was clear as day that Brie was more than distracted by The Shield's presence lurking just outside the ring, allowing the champion to remain solidly in control. Dean was clearly enjoying himself, trademark smirk firmly affixed as he watched Carolyn pick apart Brie's shoulder and idly wondered if she was going to favour the arm-bar she had put Nikki away with only a couple of short weeks prior. He could watch her work all day and never get sick of it. There had been several points where she could have finished the match, but he had the impression that Stephanie had asked her to draw it out.

The true test came when Carolyn came charging straight at her with enough force to knock her out of the ring. When Brie got her wits back she found Roman at one end and Seth at the other, the pair of them looking like eager wolves wanting to close in for the kill. Whether or not they actually would have made a move became irrelevant as Carolyn came through the middle of the ropes in a suicide dive, eating almost as much punishment as she had dished out as they both hit the floor. Dean came around from the far side, standing next to Seth to see what the damage was as both women shook out the cobwebs. Despite her obvious pain, Carolyn was actually laughing; she was enjoying this whole heartedly.

He didn't know if he was a little turned on, proud or concerned... Perhaps all three.

She had managed to get them both in the ring just before the count reached ten. After giving Brie the boot a few times Carolyn was suddenly struck with a twisted little idea; the fact that Hunter was going to _love_ it was merely a bonus.

"What the?! Walker just locked in the Yes Lock!" Cole exclaimed furiously, "Carolyn is using Daniel Bryan's submission on his own fiancée!"

Brie tapped almost immediately but Carolyn wasn't letting go, keeping her eyes on the top of the stage with a vicious grin. For a second her stable mates were wondering what she was waiting for when the crowd changed from screaming for her blood to an approving roar when Daniel came charging out in an attempt to save the love of his life before he was taken down and dismantled in very short order. When her boys were done she finally let go of the hold, satisfied she had gotten last week's statement about the division now being something akin to the jungle across loud and clear. The new champion was hungry, and she couldn't wait for the next opportunity to go hunting.


	18. Chapter 18

Dean was not happy.

The win to loss ratio The Shield had for the week had been unacceptable, the only one of them walking away with a win had been Carolyn. Seth and Roman had lost the Tag titles thanks to an abrupt appearance by the Big Show when they had been on the cusp of sending the Rhodes brothers packing. His loss on Main Event had been his own damn fault, having let his aggression override his focus. He had been so hell bent on taking more than a pound of flesh from Ziggler instead of simply winning the match that it had cost him the US championship. Then to top it all off they hadn't been able to get it done against Cody, Goldust and Daniel Bryan on Smackdown either.

"Brooding doesn't suit you, Mister Ambrose."

He was snapped out of his aggravated contemplation, attention shifting as Carolyn crossed the space of the hotel room from the bathroom and straddled his lap. His hands rested on her hips as her own snaked lazily around his bare shoulders and he felt his frustration begin to slip; it was too hard to stay angry when he had a half naked woman sitting on top of him. Ziggler may temporarily have his title but Ambrose had the girl; the former was something he could rectify soon enough, the latter he wasn't letting go of for anything. Briefly Dean thought of what Seth had said on Monday and wondered if he was right. While Ambrose had usually preferred keeping his conquests quick and casual he wasn't a stranger to the occasional relationship, however he had never fully committed to any of them either. This time it felt... different somehow, and he didn't know why. All he knew for sure is that he wanted to stick around and see how things played out.

Carolyn watched the expression of his face change from moody reflection to something more curiously thoughtful. "Care to share what's on your mind?"

No, he definitely did not, not until he could figure it out clearly for himself first anyway. Instead his hands ran underneath the black and red cami, pulling her close, answering the question with a kiss. She shivered a little when his fingers lightly stroked a sensitive spot just below her spine, arms tightening around his neck just that little bit more.

"Anyone ever tell you how fucking gorgeous you are?"

She knew deflection when she saw it, but played along regardless. When he was ready to tell her whatever it was she had no doubt that he would. "Never that bluntly."

"Well it's true." His hands slid around and up, pulling off the spaghetti strapped night shirt, no longer interested in chasing his own thoughts around. "Makes me want to eat you alive."

Her eyes glittered as she gave him a small inviting smile, "Then that's what you should do."

He didn't need to be told twice. Dean shifted until he was on top then began licking and kissing a slow trail down her throat and beyond, his fingers hooking into the waistband of her panties and peeled them off. He ran his hands up and down the smooth skin of her legs before pushing them apart, teasing his way down the inside of her thigh. He gave Carolyn a hungry grin as she held his gaze while propped up on her elbows before running his tongue over her sex. He kept his eyes on her while he licked and sucked, watching her writhe exquisitely under his attention. Her hips instinctively bucked off the bed when he slipped two of his fingers inside, working them at the same fierce pace as his tongue and he wrestled to keep her in the one spot. Her head thrown back with eyes shut Carolyn's back arched like a cat and she clawed at the covers, Dean feeling himself getting even harder than he already was when she began calling his name as she was overtaken by the climax.

Opening her eyes she found Ambrose above her, as if he were waiting for something while the stiffness of his erection pressed teasingly up against her. She pulled him down closer, tasting herself when her tongue met with his as it took her a second to figure out what he wanted, or perhaps even needed, she wasn't quite sure which. "I want you inside me. Now."

No sooner had she said it Dean buried himself without hesitation, rolling his hips as he did so. Her fingers tangled in his hair while he toyed with her breasts, nipping and teasing already hard nipples. He was getting close but fought it off, not wanting to push himself over the edge until he could take her with him. Reaching between them his thumb worked roughly against her swollen clitoris, his reward the sharp sting of her nails digging into his back as she swore rather vocally while her muscles clenched around him like a heated vice as she came, causing him to lose control a few seconds after, growling and panting almost like a beast as he did so.

Slowly Dean sank into Carolyn's arms as he pulled out, her lips pressing lightly against his forehead, "You, my dear, are a god damn animal."

He could feel her smile and heard the satisfaction in her voice, knowing it was far from an insult. "It's all on you, Princess. Just keep telling me what you want and I'll give it to you in spades."

"So I've noticed."

He didn't know when he had developed this sudden urge to hear her tell him what she wanted, but there was something about the unabashed way in which she did it that drove him damn near crazy. It was a confidence that he had found lacking in a lot of women who were either to embarrassed or shy to express what they really desired, scared at some idea of suddenly being labelled as a freak or something worse simply for enjoying something so natural. He absolutely hated that no end, so Carolyn's complete lack of reservation towards sex had him more captivated than she'd ever know.

In the darkened room next door Dolph had been forced to endure listening to the coupling and wanted to kill whoever had been dumb enough to double book his original room. After overhearing that his victory over Ambrose for the US title felt entirely hollow. In the long, painful silence that followed the clarity that he had well and truly lost Carolyn to Ambrose rang so clearly that it almost felt like a physical blow. In that moment his jealousy mingled with a dark anger; if he couldn't get her back then he'd break the man that usurped him. The time of retribution would come and when it did Dolph wouldn't be holding back.

* * *

"All three of you managed to lose your titles in the space of a week," Hunter commented, almost incredulously as he paced back and forth then stopped in front of Rollins and Reigns. "Not only did I have to hire back _both_ of Dusty's boys, but they took the Tag titles from you a week later? I'm starting to think that perhaps I misplaced my trust in your abilities to get the job done."

"So you're blaming them because of a blatant security issue? How were they supposed to know that your hired help would be so inept they couldn't keep Wight out of the building?" Carolyn interrupted, "Tell me something, have you actually bothered to have him arrested yet? He should have quite a list of charges racked up by now; assaulting you, assaulting us and also Brad Maddox, not to mention several cases of trespassing are a few I can list off the top of my head."

The look Helmsley nailed her with was damn near murderous. The problem was she also had a valid point. Instead of answering he shifted his attention to the third man of The shield, "What about you, Ambrose?What's your excuse?"

"Ziggler just got lucky," Dean replied, "It's not going to be a repeat performance when I get my rematch."

"You better hope not," Hunter said, "Because I'm locking you both in a cage at the next PPV for it."

A steel cage? Dean merely smirked; surrounded by that much chain link it would almost feel like home. Sure, it was a tough match, but he had been through much worse in his time with CZW. Hell, he damn near lost his left nipple once, it hurt like a god damn bitch too.

"As for you two." Hunter eyed the former tag champs a moment, his mind going over several options before deciding on one, "Tornado Tag match. This is the last chance you'll get for a long time, so don't blow it." He took a few more steps before he was in front of Carolyn, who was looking entirely too bored with the proceedings. "As for you, Walker, I'll let you know by the end of the night what you'll be competing in. Meanwhile I suggest you get ready, you're competing tonight after all."

With that they were promptly dismissed, leaving the COO to stew in his aggravation.

* * *

Carolyn leaned back against the rope, looking entirely nonchalant while she waited for her still unnamed opponent; something else Helmsley hadn't bothered to tell her either. Not that it mattered, not only was she ready for whoever came down that ramp but Dean, Seth and Roman had elected to stay at ringside yet again. The challenger finally emerged, Tamina's music pulsing through the building as she stalked her way down the ring. Carolyn tilted her head a little and smiled; she liked going up against Jimmy Snuka's daughter, it had always been a fight worth having.

Before the match could get under way Hunter made an appearance, "Two things before this gets started. First, you three. You don't need to be out here, so I'm banning you from ringside for the duration of this match." The decision of a level playing field was met with much approval by the crowd, "The second; seeing as you can both handle yourselves rather well, I think we should make this a little more interesting, so I'm making it no holds barred. For the title, of course."

"Well business certainly just picked up!" Cole said excitedly, Hunter turning on his heel and left as the bell sounded.

"No doubt about that, Cole," Jerry agreed, almost gleefully so while watching a very disgruntled Ambrose linger a moment before retreating over the barricade to follow his team mates, "Now we can really see if Carolyn has what it takes to hold onto the title without the rest of The Shield."

"Is your memory really that short term, King?" John asked, "She won it without them here, I'm pretty sure she can defend it just as well."

The two women charged one another, locking up in a test of strength. Tamina, who was slightly bigger and stronger, looked as if she was going to win the little muscling exchange before Carolyn suddenly stopped resisting and pulled her forward, connecting with a knee to the gut and whipped her towards the rope but missed the intended clothesline as Tamina ducked. Snuka stopped her momentum by hooking her arms around the top rope, refusing to get caught up in the faster pace that the champion would have preferred. They traded a few more blows and holds, Tamina shutting her down just as Carolyn would really start moving things along, but couldn't quite get enough over her for the winning pin-fall.

"Seems as if Walker is having some trouble staying in control," King observed, though not without a certain smug tone.

"But Tamina hasn't been able to put her away either," JBL argued, "These two have always been fairly evenly matched, so I'm not surprised that one can't put away the other in short order."

Things swung Carolyn's way when countered what would have been a rather forceful Russian leg sweep before her fist connected with Tamina's throat. She didn't manage to get all of it but what landed was enough for the champion to begin turning the tide in her favour. She hit a few more vicious, sadistic strikes before hurling the other woman into the turn-buckle with so much force that Tamina ended upside down. Wasting little time she tangled the challenger up in a Tree of Woe and slipped out of the ring. Taking a hold of her wrists and bracing a boot against the post Carolyn pulled back as hard as she could, putting huge amounts of pressure through Tamina's back and shoulders. When she had enough of that Carolyn let go and climbed back onto the apron before vaulting up to the top turn-buckle, watching as Tamina dangled helplessly for a few seconds then dropped down, stomping on her with both feet.

"That had to hurt," Bradshaw said as she continued the punishment, "Carolyn has shown a surprising amount of restraint considering her recent shift in attitude and the stipulation."

Jerry couldn't quite believe what the 'Wrestling God' had just uttered, his notion of thinking emphasised by a series of heavy Muay Thai like kicks, "You call _that_ restraint?"

It was soon becoming clear that Carolyn was going to yet again walk away with the victory when the ring was suddenly invaded by several other divas, each trying to take a piece out of the champion. The ref quickly called for the bell; while the two competitors may have been allowed to beat the hell out of each other however they liked that did not go so far as to stretch to outside interference. Within moments Reigns, Rollins and Ambrose had come back through the crowds and the interlopers retreated as fast as they'd shown up, taking Tamina with them. Carolyn slowly sat up, one hand rubbing at a spot on the back of her head to find Dean kneeling at her side and he helped her up. He couldn't help but notice the absence of that odd nervousness when he remained well within her personal space, leaving him wondering if she was getting over the strange quirk or just simply to pissed off about having her fun ruined to care.

To top off the drama Hunter reappeared to sort out the mess, although instead of looking displeased he was quite deviously serene. She knew that look, the bastard had orchestrated that little ambush, she just knew it. _End to hostilities my ass. Damn asshole._

"Not quite the ending I was hoping for," Hunter mused, "Though it has given me an idea. Carolyn, come Hell In A Cell you'll be defending your championship in a..." He paused a second to tally up all the women currently out here, "Seven diva threat match." He watched her carefully as it sunk in, wondering what her answering move was going to be. Marching to the far side of the ring she demanded a microphone, snatching it up with no small amount of irritation before crossing back to the side that faced the stage. Leaning against the top rope she thought over how to counter the predicament he had just stuck her in. She hated however many people threat type matches, she found the sudden death logic behind them beyond stupid.

"Alright, but how about we make things a little more fun?" He seemed mildly curious and motioned for her to elaborate, "In the interest of fairness why don't you thrown in an elimination stipulation? That way nobody can complain when the dust settles. Also, while you think that over I'd like to throw in a little something extra to really spice things up. If any of them can actually pull it off and _pin_ me, I'll give them one hundred and fifty thousand dollars out of my own pocket. But only if it's an elimination match of course."

"What sort of person puts a bounty on their own head?" Cole pondered, watching the greed fuelled eagerness swept through the rest of the women at the idea.

"Carolyn is either completely insane or a genius," Layfield declared, able to see both sides of the double edged sword she had just pulled out, "They'll be so busy fighting each other for the cash that she just might be able to pull off a title retention, no matter how much the rest of the women's division wants her head."

"What do you say, Hunter?" Carolyn asked, "Surely it sounds good for business."

He scratched his chin for a moment then nodded, "If that's what you want, Carolyn. You got it."

* * *

_The plot isn't devolving into smut purely for a partial chapter filler because I'm having a hard time dragging my mind out of the gutter, I swear. _

_Alright, maybe it is... A little. It's the smirk that does it. God dammit, Ambrose..._


	19. Chapter 19

The first thing Dean could hear as he opened his hotel room door was a whole lot of chaotic noise from a recording. It sounded familiar, but he couldn't quite place it until he heard his own voice shout a rather bold proclamation.

"I have more belts than I have fucking pairs of pants!"

He quickly figured out what it was after that, an old clip of him from his days as Jon Moxley, and from the sound of it Carolyn was finding it entertaining. She and Seth had reached and checked into the hotel before him as he and Roman had to do an early morning radio show interview. He was idly curious as to just how much of the old independent footage she had managed to find before he got here or even why she would bother to look it up in the first place.

Carolyn caught movement from the corner of her eye and looked up from where she sat to find Ambrose leaning against the wall with his arms crossed looking mildly amused.

"Enjoying yourself?"

"Very much so, Prince of the Deathmatch," she replied, poking at the screen to pause the video, "You're quite the entertainer, Mister Ambrose. Or should that be Mister Moxley?"

"Your call." Putting his bag at the foot of the bed he then laid down next to her with his head resting in Carolyn's lap. Absently her fingers ran through his hair with her free hand as she poked the screen of the iPod a few more times, then put it down. When her left arm stretched out he noticed a sizable bruise on the inside of it, something she had gotten in the little ambush from last night. Without thinking reached up to probe it, feeling something odd under the surface of her skin. It was small and thin, about the size of a matchstick, but flexible at the same time. "What the hell is that?"

"Contraceptive implant," She answered casually, the arm coming to rest lazily over his stomach, "It's a lot more convenient than having to take a pill every day."

"You know, I've actually been wondering about that," He admitted, "Since.. you know."

"I haven't bitched at you once about condoms?"

"Mhm."

"So is this the part where you want to start grilling me about my past escapades?"

"Nope, I get the job done well enough."

His smug confidence in the statement was palpable and she smirked a little, "You certainly wont be getting any complaints from me."

His eyes closed and Dean felt oddly content in that moment, more than he had been in a long time. Despite his current lack of a title he loved his job, was paid a ton of money to do it and he got to have a woman who had knocked back Playboy, three times no less, all to himself. Life was definitely good.

When he eventually looked up again he found her staring absently at a spot on his chest. He was used to that look by now; she was thinking, or even over thinking, one thing or another but would more than likely keep it to herself. It was something she did a lot he noticed, preferring to observe people more than talk to them most of the time. He didn't mind it though, liking the fact she didn't feel the need to incessantly drone on and on about every little thing. Her feelings. His feelings. An insatiable need for constant communication. She was quite the opposite in fact. That said however, there were times where she'd get so wrapped up in her own thoughts that even he would get idly curious from time to time.

Carolyn snapped out of it when she felt him trace a line up and down the arm resting on top of him. "Just making sure you didn't float off to Mars, Princess. You looked like you were a world away."

It took her a second to shake off the more serious look to cover with something less so, "Found a clip of you in a Dog Collar match earlier, just thinking how well the look suits you."

It was his turn to spot the blatant deflection and let it slide, "Only way I'm interested in wearing another one of those is if you're strapped onto the other end."

"You and I with almost twenty feet of chain? That sounds like fun."

He felt himself twitch a little at the blatantly suggestive idea but exercised a measure of restraint. Seth and Roman were due to show up soon so the three of them could hit the nearest gym, the last thing he wanted was to start something only to be interrupted.

"You coming with us today?"

"Already got my workout in before you got here. DDP Yoga is win."

"God damn it, woman." She laughed a little at his annoyed huff, Dean had been trying to get her to try their cross fit work-out but was having a hard time breaking Carolyn out of her own set routine. "I suppose I can't argue with the results though," He reasoned with a small amount of reluctance, "That sort of flexibility is hot."

A few minutes later the Dynamic Duo arrived, Rollins beating and aimless tattoo on the door until Ambrose finally opened it. "Ready to roll?"

"Yup."

"Hey, Carolyn, you coming with us?" Roman asked.

"Not today," She replied, "Go enjoy your bro time."

Dean gave her a light squeeze and a quick kiss on the temple on his way out, which set Seth off teasing him before an audible slap to the back of his head could be heard down the hall followed by a faint 'oww'.

The room returned to silence once again and Carolyn found herself wondering what to do in order to keep herself occupied. Before long her mind returned to the line of thought Dean had interrupted, whether she wanted it to or not. Not really wanting to stay within the confines of the four walls she pulled on a jacket, grabbed her iPod, wallet and key then headed out the door. If her mind was going to wander she may as well let her feet in on the action too.

It hadn't escaped her notice how Dean had been looking at her lately, especially when it was just the two of them. There were times seemed as if he was conflicted while at others he sported a look of contentment much like the one he had barely fifteen minutes a go. Carolyn wasn't stupid, despite his reluctance to tell her anything yet she could have a pretty good guess at what it was about, mainly because she had been going through the same hoops herself. There was no denying that the sexual chemistry they had was electric, she couldn't recall another partner able to make her body practically sing the way Dean could. But there seemed to be something underneath all that but both of them were wary not to stray too close to, as if it was a potential trap. He clearly had his own set of scars to bear and seemed just as confused about what the implications could mean as she was.

She could barely bring herself to think the word, let alone say it. Every time it had been uttered something eventually blew up in her face, almost like it was a curse rather than a term of endearing affection. Her last call to her father had ended with it and he had died barely a week later. Her first lover had used an manipulated it, then once had had got what he came for unceremoniously dumped her in a very public setting after proclaiming his conquest in great detail to the world. Another had been a half psychotic ex boyfriend that wouldn't back off until Chris Masters had put the guy in his place when she had first arrived in OVW. After dealing with the consequences one to many times, in an act of self preservation she had walled off that side of her heart and built up her armour and vowed she'd never allow that sort of punishment to be inflicted on her ever again. The plan had been going along swimmingly for years now, keep it casual and bail out before things got too complicated.

Except now it was starting to get complicated and for some reason she was being too stupid to bolt. It wasn't as if she had anywhere to run to anyway, by siding with The Shield and going on the rampage she had Carolyn had quite effectively burned just about every bridge she had crossed. With a resigned sigh she rubbed at her temples, maybe they could just keep ignoring the unspoken subject and deflecting anything remotely serious with innuendo like they had been.

A tap on her shoulder bought her back to the now, turning to find a rather nervous, excited face of a kid staring back at her that was probably no older than fifteen, a few of his friends standing a couple of feet behind him

"Uh.. Miss Walker," He managed to stammer, the rest coming out in a rush, "Would you mind if I got a picture with you?"

She had to smile, she couldn't help but find it somewhat amusingly adorable when teenage boys got flustered and nervous. "Sure thing, kiddo." She swore his eyes lit up like the fourth of July as he called one of his friends over to snap the moment. Despite whatever was going on in her personal life, it was nice to find that she still had a few fans out there...

* * *

By the time Dean was through with his work out he could have quite gleefully throttled Seth, the man hadn't let up at all since they had left the hotel. As far as Rollins was concerned it was the best game in the world. At least Roman wasn't getting in on the act as well, he seemed more content to watch his tag partner do enough ribbing for the both of them. He almost heaved a sigh of relief when the pair got out of the elevator, their room being a couple of floors below his own. He wondered if this was what having siblings was like, because Seth sure as hell had the annoying brother act down to a science.

As Ambrose approached the room something seemed off, noticing the door was open a crack as he got closer. That was definitely wrong, neither he or Carolyn would be so careless. On edge now he pushed it open with his foot, half expecting to be jumped by someone. He wasn't, the room unnervingly silent while Dean pulled his phone from his pocket.

_You got me runnin' wild, wild and free_  
_The open road is all I need_  
_Runnin' wild-_

He growled as he hung up, the sound of Airbourne came from within the room but Carolyn hadn't answered. She had a bad habit of sometimes not taking her cell with her when she went out... if she had gone out at all.

"Carolyn?"

There was no answer, so with anger and anxiety warring for control he stepped cautiously inside. The room had been completely and utterly trashed. Beside lamps smashed, the end tables overturned, covers and blankets torn from the bed. Both his luggage and hers had been strewn all over the place. He couldn't tell if the room had been simply ransacked or even worse, she had been dragged off in the chaos. The latter idea started a rising panic in his gut, so he did the first thing that came to mind and called Roman.

"Yo."

"Get your ass up here. Now."

"Why, what's the matter?"

"Just do it."

Roman cocked a brow at his phone when Dean abruptly ended the call, that hadn't seemed like Ambrose at all. He sounded... concerned? Panicky? Wasting little time he headed for the door with Seth hot on his heels. Arriving at their destination understanding began to set in.

"She's not here," Was the greeting Reigns got when Ambrose spotted him, "And she left her phone behind. Again."

Being the most level headed of the three Roman took in the scene before making a move to act. "You haven't touched anything, have you?"

"No."

"Good. We need to get out of the room, then call hotel security first."

By the time Carolyn made it back there were a couple of cops, some of the hotel's own security and the manager who was on shift. "What the hell is going on?" Seth watched Dean visibly relax as he pushed past his team mate but had the common sense to keep his mouth shut, now was definitely not the time to rile Ambrose up.

"_Stop_ leaving your cell behind," He said by way of answer, the agitation in his tone conflicting with the concern and relief in his eyes.

One of the uniforms approached the pair, "Miss Walker, we'd like to ask you a few questions."

"So long as someone tells me what all this is about." She replied with a wave of her hand at the small gathering.

"Someone completely trashed the room," Dean said, "I tried to call you."

"There's no sign that the door was forced open," The officer explained, allowing her to pass and survey the mess for herself, "So I have to ask, where have you been for approximately the past hour?"

"Just out for a walk. I left a couple a minutes after Dean did."

"Can anyone confirm this?"

"I don't know." She ran her fingers through her hair. This had never happened before in all her time on the road, "There were a few kids that stopped me for pictures, but that's about the only thing I can think of."

"Did you perhaps lose your key?" Quickly she patted her pockets down and pulled out the card, holding it up for him to see.

"Do you know anyone who might have done this? Anyone who you might not be on the best of terms with?"

She let out a small, cynical laugh, "You don't watch a lot of pro wrestling, do you?"

When the police were done with their questions and left the manager offered them a new room free of charge. It was unlikely they would be able to find somewhere else on such short notice so they had little choice but to accept the offer. On the bright side the only rooms left were suites, so the unexpected upgrade was nice. Dean merely shoved his own things back aggressively into his suitcase while Carolyn was a bit more meticulous, taking a mental inventory of everything she had to make sure none of it was missing. Everything but one of her bra and panties sets was accounted for, giving her a strong suspicion of who the perpetrator might be and it was downright creepy.

_Stealing my underwear? That's a new low. A disturbing, creepy as hell new low._

Standing up she found Dean watching her like a hawk with that familiar conflict staring back at her. Picking up her phone she made a small show of putting it in her pocket, "No more forgetting it. I promise."

Dean hated feeling like this. Give him a mic and a camera and he could tear anyone down, but stick him in a room by himself with the woman who had gotten under his skin and he couldn't articulate his thoughts properly when it turned serious. That's when he realised he had it _bad_ and frankly the idea scared him a little, not that it would be something he'd ever admit to. The very idea of opening up just to be shot down was something he didn't think he'd be able to handle.

She held her hand out then pulled him closer when he took it and Ambrose finally let go of the tension that had a grip on him, burying his face in the crook of her neck, "I thought..."

"I know," She replied gently, saving him from trying to explain himself, "I'm sorry." She kissed the side of his head and began to pull away much to his reluctance, "Lets get the hell out of here."

As the headed toward the elevator he took a hold of her hand again. As far as Dean was concerned Carolyn was his, and whoever pulled that stunt had better watch their ass from here on out.


	20. Chapter 20

It had been a mixed week for The shield. A win by disqualification, Seth stealing one over Goldust on Main Event and their only loss caused by having to deal with Orton and his inability to stop screwing around and simply win the match.

Despite the hotel's best efforts they hadn't been able to ID whoever it was that had broken into their hotel room last Tuesday. The surveillance camera that had been closest had gone on the fritz earlier that morning and hadn't had a chance to be repaired before the incident occurred, while the other had been too far down the other end of the hall to be of any use trying to get an ID. Despite that, Dean was certain Carolyn had figured out who it was but had yet to say anything. It frustrated him; he hated being kept in the dark, especially on something like this where his privacy had been invaded.

Hell In A Cell had finally arrived and they all had been in an out of the locker room since arriving in the arena. Roman had taken up his old habit of being Carolyn's shadow wherever she went, giving Dean some peace of mind while he had been called into Helmsley's office to get bored to death by something or another, he really wasn't paying that much attention to the COO. He came back to an empty locker room, leaving him to assume that Seth had tagged long with Reigns for something to do. Unzipped his bag he reached in to get his tape when his fingers brushed against satin and lace; that was most definitely not his. Fishing it out he immediately recognised the pink and white underwear that had now been so thoroughly shredded. If this was some sort of attempt at intimidation it had seriously backfired, all it had managed to achieve was to piss Ambrose off.

At the sound of the door opening he quickly stuffed the small thing into his pocket, finding what he had originally wanted and began taping up his hands. Carolyn and Seth were in the middle of yet another debate over some band or another, something that was becoming increasingly common between the two, while Roman sank down into a chair and relaxed.

"If you don't believe me," He heard her say as she rummaged through her bag for the almost always ever present iPod then handed it over to Rollins, "Take a listen for yourself."

As Seth slipped the earphones over his head and Reigns looking like he was catching a quick forty winks, Dean tapped Carolyn on the shoulder and motioned for her to follow him to the back of the showers. She complied, though with a bit of hesitation; the last time he dragged her back there she had walked out wanting to strangle him. Quickly checking over his shoulder to make sure they were out of any line of sight he reached into his pocket, "I know you worked out who trashed our room, I need you to tell me who."

She reached out and plucked the ruined garment from the end of his fingers, he own poking through the holes and slashes. If she had been creeped out when she had discovered them missing then this was down right disturbing. What was with her and having an apparent innate ability of being a magnet for psychos and weirdos? "Where did you get these?"

"Someone decided to leave them in my bag," He answered, intently watching her reaction. There was a flash of something, like she had experienced this sort of thing or something similar in the past, before it disappeared behind a well practised mask of neutrality. He wasn't letting this one slide however, it was too important for that. His first instinct was wanting to snap irritably with what he perceived as irrational hesitancy on her part but had the common sense to recognise that wouldn't work. Swallowing his rising frustration Dean forced himself to remain calm, "Princess... Carolyn, you have to tell me. Please."

"I told you he was losing his damn mind," She finally muttered, balling the material in her fist, "He gave himself away by taking these ones. They were... his favourite."

Dolph. Of course it was him. "Why keep them then?" The snippy question came out before his brain could stop it.

"Because they were just clothes," She replied with a shrug, surprisingly calm about his small outburst, "Also they weren't exactly cheap."

Primal impulse made him want to march out and track down Ziggler right now for the perceived threat against someone Dean's male brain now considered very much his. However his more insidious side, the part where Jon Moxley still lurked, encouraged him to wait a little longer. He'd have all the time he wanted in the cage tonight and they would see who still wanted to play games when the night was through.

* * *

The Shield had started off the night strongly when Roman and Seth came tearing out of the gate and reclaimed the tag team titles, living up to their boast that chaos really is the place where they thrived. Straight after that Carolyn had gone through a hell of a fight, but the tactic of putting a price on her own head worked out well enough the way she had wanted it to. Weathering the initial brunt of eagerness to be the first to become one hundred and fifty grand better off the half dozen contenders quickly turned on each each other with the same amount of zeal. When it was all said and done Carolyn was still holding the gold by stealing the winning pin against Alicia Fox with some sneaky assistance from the ring ropes for extra leverage. She was a little sore and wouldn't be surprised if she woke up with a round of fresh bruises tomorrow morning, but it had definitely been worth it.

It had been a long time since the steel cage had made an appearance. Dean had been insistent on going to ringside by himself, the main reason being he didn't want Carolyn anywhere near Ziggler even more so than before; cage or not. He paced back and forth impatiently, the surrounding chain link lending him an air of a beast that longed to go on the hunt. Dolph came swaggering out a moment after with his usual flair and Dean ran his tongue absently over his canines. He was hungry, and not just to get his title back. Ziggler handed his belt to the referee on the outside who would chain up and lock the door once he was in. There was no official on the inside, it was straight up old school where the only way to win was to climb out or go through the door. It was something Dean looked forward to, his brain was strangely wired to like taking punishment almost as much as he loved handing it out.

The door had barely been shut and chained before Ambrose exploded across the ring, catching Dolph off guard with sheer relentless energy. Ziggler wasn't going to simply roll over and take the punishment however and rallied against it, giving Ambrose as good as he got. For the first few minutes there was very little actual wrestling, the to competitors more than happy just to beat the living hell out of each other with their fists. Dolph was the first to counter Dean's next swing and whipped him towards the rope, but Ambrose used the momentum first to duck the intended clothesline before delivering one of his own. Rolling away for a bit of distance Ziggler quickly found his feet again, the pair locking up and jockeying for position.

"Seems like both of them aren't holding anything back tonight," Cole stated as Dean one the battle and sent Dolph hurtling towards a nearby turn-buckle, then chased after him with another clothesline and threw a rapid fire double punches to Ziggler's gut a few times.

"They hate each other, Michael, it's what makes it so fun to watch," Layfield replied, his excitement more than a little evident when Ambrose whipped him into the opposite corner only to be reversed and sent crashing into it himself. Dolph charged, leaping into the air but came up short as Dean moved out of the way at the last moment.

The next twenty minutes was a total war as they slammed each other into the cage, pummelled the hell out of each other and both even got busted open when one removed a cover from one of the top turn-buckles. For every shot to taken there was an answering one that turned the intensity up a notch. Dean had to admit it, as much as he hated the thought, Ziggler was hanging with his brutal lunacy quite well. It seemed as if it could be anyone's ball game right now with both of them clinging to the chain link as the both tried to get out and keep the other at bay.

There was a confused ripple starting through the crowd as Carolyn moved through the people and slid over the barricade, dodging around the referee then leapt at the cage, scaling up and over the far side from where Ambrose and Ziggler battled it out. Dolph was holding Dean by the leg, trying to prevent him from climbing to the top and pull him down when a sudden explosion of pain erupted in his groin. He fell back to the mat hard while cradling his junk, barely aware of the third figure that climbed up the cage beside Ambrose.

When she reached the top Carolyn swung one leg over the opposite side so she was straddling it then leaned over to grab whatever she could of Dean to help him up; wrists, arms, his shirt and even his belt until he reached the top. It took him a split second for what had happened to sink in; despite it now being completely unintentional, everything he had said to Seth about a month a go had just come to fruition. He had inadvertently dropped his title to Ziggler and Carolyn had just willingly helped him get it back. Without thought or a damn for the consequences his hand came around the back of her neck and he kissed her fiercely, then swung his other leg over and dropped to the floor before she could react. So much for the work rule, he was positive he had just blown it out of the water if her beautifully stunned face was anything to go by.

"I told you there was something going on between Ambrose and Walker!" JBL proclaimed to his two broadcast partners with no small amount of smugness.

Dolph had managed to find his feet as he looked up at the top of the cage, wanting to be sick and not just because it felt like he had all but swallowed his testicles; he had never seen Carolyn with the sort of expression that she currently favoured Ambrose with. Hunger, desire, and perhaps even love; it was plain as day that she wanted him. The thought of the last made him snap. Sucking up the pain he scaled the cage faster than he should have been able, but jealous anger was a great motivator. Before she could work out why Dean had gone from victorious smirk to complete outrage Ziggler had reached the top and seized a fist full of hair. With his free hand clutching the cable for support he stood, forcing her up with him as they precariously balanced on the frame work.

Dolph was seething, his eyes darting from her to Ambrose pacing back and forth at the bottom of the cage but actually reluctant to climb up; it wouldn't take much unwanted movement to have them both lose balance and fall the almost twenty feet to the floor, "You said we're done. If that's the case, here's something to remember me by."

There was a harsh shove to her back and before she knew it Carolyn had been pitched from the cage to come crashing down on top of the announce table below with surprise ripping through the arena. Ambrose's disbelief rooted him to the spot for a few seconds before he moved but was kept at bay by Doc Sampson who was already by her unresponsive side, gently checking her neck but still not willing to risk moving the Women's champion until they got a gurney and brace down to ringside. She stirred the smallest fraction and blood smeared against the trashed table. Ambrose was going to _destroy_ him for that.

"You're dead!" He snarled as he looked up to where Dolph was still perched. Suddenly Roman and Seth were there, inexplicably restraining him from climbing the cage.

"Now is not the time," Reigns growled lowly as the re-crowned tag champs struggled to contain their enraged team mate, "He'll get his, you can be sure of that. But if she means _anything_ to you, then you have more important places to go right now." It was difficult but somehow Roman's words got through Dean's fury, though not before he hurled a string of promises of grievous bodily harm up at Ziggler.

If he had just killed her career then Ambrose swore he would kill Ziggler...

* * *

_Apologies about the delay. Something in Open Office screwed up, turning over 1.5k worth of words into nothing but hash-tags. It, unsurprisingly, almost killed the momentum I had going as I decided to ignore it for a few days out of annoyance. But all in all I'm actually surprised by how much of what I wrote I actually remembered off the top of my head... shame it didn't extend to the majority of the original match though._

_The plus side is I got to type it out on a brand new laptop, so yay for using shiny new toys!_


	21. Chapter 21

Dean and Carolyn sat around the terminal as they waited for their respective flights; he moving on to the next destination for Raw while she was going home to New York. She had managed to worm her way out of having to stay for overnight observation after the prognosis, not wanting to stay in a hospital any longer than she had to. It wasn't as if she hated doctors but more often than not they had been the bearers of bad news. As it was they had wrapped her in enough tape and bandages to resemble an impromptu mummy; right wrist, left bicep and her chest were all covered in the pristine white material. Ambrose was grateful for the last night they would spend with each other for a while, even though it hadn't been the best night worth of rest. His own body felt like it had gone through a grinder and she hadn't been able to find a spot comfortable enough to fall asleep in for more than a couple of hours at a time. As a result he had been dozing for the past thirty minutes.

Dean's eyes snapped open at a sharp hiss of discomfort. Carolyn had moved to find a more comfortable spot but her ribs were protesting the idea and he could see the frustration becoming evident. "You need to take it easy, Princess."

"Probably," She reluctantly agreed before settling back against him.

"Not probably. Definitely."

"Fine." She managed to stop fidgeting and was silent for a moment, "You broke the work rule."

He smirked at the sudden comment while adjusting him arm around her shoulders, "I'll do it again too, the look on your face was worth it."

She wanted to laugh at his self satisfaction but quickly thought the better of the idea, battered bone and bruised muscle playing the role of the fun police, "Christ, it feels like I stepped in front of a truck. I think the Tramadol is starting to wear off."

His smile faded at the reminder that she was now out of commission for a at least two months due to a multitude of cracked and broken bones, the majority of them being her ribs. Considering some of the more serious alternatives that could have happened and how awkwardly she had hit the table, Ambrose guessed he should be thankful that she got away with what were mild injuries in comparison. He only could have guessed at his reaction if she had wound up with a broken neck. He wondered if her current state was his fault but almost immediately dismissed the idea; the only one to blame here was Ziggler and his inability to let go. While Dean could admit he hadn't always treated women as well as he should have in the past, he wouldn't have thrown any of them off a fifteen foot cage like that either.

Roman and Seth appeared bearing hot drinks just she had fished out the small box of pain killers, popping a few out of the protective plastic bubbles and swallowed them. Taking the cup Seth offered and thanking him she sipped at it, enjoying the sweet taste of chocolate and added sugar. There wasn't much talking going on, it was far too early to try and get brains into gear for any real conversation. Eventually the boarding announcement for the flight the guys were booked on came over the PA system and all four of them stood up. Rollins and Reigns said their goodbyes, Carolyn almost swallowed whole by Roman's huge arms as he carefully hugged her, then took off toward the gate.

"Guess this is it," Dean said, though was reluctant to go; the idea of going back to having hotel rooms to himself felt surprisingly weird.

"Don't worry, you'll be so busy that the time will fly by." Reaching out she brushed the unruly dirty blond hair from his face, only to have it fall back across his eyes. He grinned at the futile attempt, kicking up that slightly dishevelled charm up a notch like he knew it would. "If there was enough time I'd make you go change your flight."

"Can't live without me, huh?"

"I choose not to answer that," Carolyn replied, "If I did you'd have to book an extra seat for your ego alone."

"Please, woman, you can't hide the truth from me," Dean answered, said ego swelling just a little at the unspoken implication, "I know what my lady likes best." Wait, where the hell had that last part come from? While his brain had firmly claimed Carolyn under the 'mine' category, he had actually managed to refrain saying anything as such... until now.

"'Your lady' huh?" Her expression was neutral for a moment, one brow slowly creeping up as she watched him. She almost laughed when he began to fidget under the mock scrutiny before giving him a smile to show she was simply teasing him, "I think I'll let you get away with it... for now. But only because you have a great ass."

They were skirting around it again, both knew it but neither could actually bring themselves to broach it. The game was brought to an abrupt end by the PA system, this time announcing the boarding call for her own flight back home.

He kept himself from heaving a resigned sigh, the whole situation simply sucked. His hands cupped her face and tilted her head up, planting a long, lingering kiss on her lips. He didn't let it go until he had managed to drag a small pining noise out of her. Yep, definitely his. "Be good for me, Princess. I want you ASAP."

"Shouldn't that be you want me _back_?"

"I know what I said."

"You are a bad, bad man. My mind is now thoroughly entrenched in the gutter."

"Perfect," He grinned, "Maybe next time it'll be you, me and twenty feet of chain."

"Strike you being bad, you're just plain evil."

They finally headed to their separate gates, but not before Dean gave Carolyn one last kiss that had her starting to lightly rake her nails down his chest through his shirt. Two months alone was definitely going kill him; he was positive he'd die of blue balls before she could get back.

* * *

By the time the taxi finally pulled to a stop in Manhattan, Carolyn was more than a little grouchy and physically exhausted. Between the previous night's lack of sleep, a couple of obnoxious wealthy brats in the seat behind her chattering and cackling away like hyenas then getting jostled through LaGuardia airport she was quite positive she would strangle the next person to push their luck; broken wrist or not. To top it all off the cabbie had zoomed off before she could get him to give her a hand hauling her luggage up the stairs. It was just not her day it seemed. When she finally got inside she left the bags beside the door, to tired and sore to deal with them at the moment. That was when she heard the shower upstairs running and realised that the alarm hadn't gone off, despite her not having punched in the code to disarm it yet.

_Who the hell is in my house?_

Abruptly the water cut off and she carefully picked up a baseball bat that she kept just behind the front door and crept up the stairs, avoiding the ones that made any noise. Whoever the son of a bitch was they'd regret breaking into this particular home. _Who breaks in to have a shower anyway? God damn weirdos. Wait... Christ tap dancing on a cracker, please don't let it be him_.

As the bathroom door opened she swung on instinct, hearing a male cry of surprise but not managing to connect with anything but the frame when he leapt backwards. With space between them she actually had a second to take stock and recognised the familiar face.

"What are you doing here?!"

* * *

The Shied were in the bowels of the building somewhere, standing around in the half dark with a camera to kick off the beginning of Monday Night Raw. Ambrose was standing in the centre with Reigns flanking him on the right and Rollins the left.

"Last night we proved without a shadow of a doubt that when it comes to thriving under pressure, _nobody_ does it better than The Shield. We took back and kept what was ours, just like we said we would; but really, that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. Tonight however, we have a new problem to solve." Dean's face then went from his casual cool to something darker as he continued, "Dolph, you not only put your hands on the Women's champion, you actually threw her off the cage and into the announce table. The second you did that you provoked the hounds, and we're not just interested in justice any more."

Roman jerked the bottom of the camera lens to face him, his expression cold and stoic, "We're out for blood."

Seth was more animated as he delivered his part with a little more zeal, "There is nowhere you can run, nowhere you can hide that we won't find you. Everywhere you turn we'll be there, making your life an absolute living hell."

The camera panned back onto the US champion and he offered up one of his trademark smirks, though the dark intent in his eyes still remained. "Don't think we're going to make this short and sweet either, Ziggler. We're gonna have our fun hunting you down. We're going to make you scream and beg and plead. Then... who knows, maybe we'll finally out you out of your misery." Just as it looked like he was finished Dean decided to add one last thing, "And as for all you little rabbits running around the women's locker room, don't get too comfortable. Our She-Wolf maybe be down at the moment, but I can assure you, she's certainly not out."

With that they left the camera on the floor, the last shot being three pairs of boots striding past with a purpose.

* * *

_Very short, I know, but I feel like teasing you guys a little :P_


	22. Chapter 22

"Jesus Christ, Chris. You scared the shit out of me."

"I scared you? You're the one who had the bat."

The pair were silent for a second then Carolyn started to laugh simply out of sheer relief, not caring how much it hurt. She had completely forgotten that she had given Chris Masters a spare set of keys and the code to her alarm system years a go so he had a place to stay whenever he was in town. After he had gotten dressed and headed downstairs into the lounge room he had settled down into one of the armchairs, taking the coffee she offered him as she sat down on the couch and turned the TV on for quiet background noise, "Guess I should've told you I was coming."

"Would've been nice." She shook her head and grinned, "God I've missed your goofy ass."

"I know, but my ass is off limits, goofy or not," He replied.

"Oh please, like you stand a chance."

"Ambrose is that good, huh?"

"Let me put it this way. I'm glad I invested the money into soundproofing this place," She answered, "And also it's a good thing he doesn't mind me biting him, no-one in any hotel we stay at would get any sleep otherwise."

"Seriously? You bite the man?"

"It's not like he doesn't enjoy it. He has a little bit of a masochistic streak."

He laughed, how he had missed her frank, honest attitude. They caught up for a while longer, teasing and insulting each other as they went. Chris had come into town for a couple of shows he had been booked for, which was why she had found him in the shower. Then he decided to finally address the elephant in the room.

"So... Why did Ziggler throw you off the cage, and what's the damage?"

"Two cracked ribs, three broken and a few more on top of that are bruised. Right wrist is broken but they put something called a micronail in it so it doesn't have to be in a cast, just a splint for a little while. Supposedly it cuts down on the healing time. Also I opened up my left arm somehow. Hooray for future matching scars?"

"And Ziggler?" Chris prodded after a moment when she stopped.

"You remember Kevin?" She asked with a little hesitancy and he nodded slowly; how could he forget? "Kind of like that. Well maybe not quite that extreme, but definitely... weirder." Getting up she went through the smaller of her two bags, the one she took to events, and tossed something in his lap when she came back. "He decided to leave those in Dean's bag last night right before the Pay Per View started."

He held it up, a little shocked at what he was holding. Dolph had seemed like an alright guy from what he remembered of the man. More than a little egotistical, but who wasn't to some extent in the business? He certainly hadn't struck him as the type of get jealously possessive in any event. "Jesus, 'Lyn. What is with you and being able to draw the nut jobs?"

"If I ever manage to figure it out you'll be the first to know." He handed it back and she stood up again, this time heading for the kitchen and threw the ruined delicates in the trash. The only reason she still had them was she hadn't had time to go through her stuff before getting on the plane.

"If you ever need a hand to sort him out you know I'm only a phone call away."

"Thanks, Chris," She finally answered, "But I think I'm going to be just fine."

"And you can say that how?"

"Because he's made Dean more than a little angry, plus there's Roman and Seth to contend with as well." She sipped at her drink, staying silent for a moment and Chris could swear he could almost hear the gears in her head turning, "Although if Dean also turns out to be a psychotic loose cannon then I swear I am done with men."

He heard something in her tone that surprised him, it almost sounded pained at the very idea of Ambrose turning into yet another loon in a line of crazy basket cases. It was so very... not Carolyn. For as long as he'd known her she stubbornly refused to form any emotional attachment beyond a platonic bond after the whole Kevin fiasco. It was something he found interesting; after ten years it finally looked like she was at least taking a peak out from under that formidable shell of casual nonchalance to see what was out there, so he could only wonder if the man could prove himself worthy of her time.

"Are you staying for Halloween?" She asked, abruptly changing the subject. The mood was getting a little too heavy for her liking.

He thought about it for a second before nodding, it could be fun. "We'll do the last minute costume and candy run tomorrow though. As it is you look damn near dead on your feet."

"Thanks, you really know how to say the sweetest things."

He chuckled at the sarcasm then drained the remnants in the mug, "I'm serious though, get some sleep. I have to go out for a bit anyway and by the time I get back you should be out like a light."

She couldn't argue his logic, as it was she had been struggling to stay awake and the caffeine was no longer helping in that regard. As she hauled her sore and exhausted self up the stairs Chris grabbed his jacket and locked the door behind him. Truth be told he didn't really have to be anywhere, but he knew her well enough that if he stayed Carolyn would fight off the much needed rest despite her better judgement. Pulling his jacket around him to ward off the crisp chill of the late October afternoon he set off to see what he could find in the Big Apple.

* * *

Halloween had been great fun, the simple solution for a costume idea was to buy a few fake wound kits with some other bits and pieces then dressed in some of their ring gear and took turns answering the door as zombie wrestlers. By the time all the trick or treaters were done they had probably signed almost as many autographs as they had handed out candy and had even posed for a photo or two along the way. In the mean time Chris had become a semi permanent fixture over the past couple of weeks since he had a bunch of bookings on the East Coast so it made more sense for him to stay with her instead of constantly flying back and forth from California. It was a little odd at first, but as she got used to having someone else living in her house she discovered she was kind of enjoying it.

They were in the middle of a monster movie marathon when her phone suddenly rang and she glanced at the caller ID, unable to hide the small smirk it dragged out of her. Handing a large bowl popcorn over to Chris she got up and wandered into the next room. "Good evening, Mister Ambrose."

"Hey, Princess," Came Dean's disembodied voice, "How are you feeling?"

"Getting there," She replied, "Still eating the Tramadol like it's candy, but it hasn't been so bad with Chris here."

"Chris?"

"Chris Masters." She took a second to look at the phone, wondering if the connection had been lost at his silence, "You still there?"

"Yeah," He answered, "Just wasn't expecting that was all."

"You weren't expecting it? I'm the one who tried to take his head off with a bat when I came home." Something felt a little off with him and it took a second for the possibility to click, "Wait, are you jealous?"

"What? No."

It was a blatant lie, his quick defensiveness gave him away. She supposed she couldn't blame him entirely, it wasn't as if Chris was hard on the eyes after all. Carolyn found herself in her bedroom and sat down on the bed, "You don't have anything to worry about, we're just friends. He helped me out with someone back when we were in OVW."

"Who?"

"No-one who was on the roster."

"Who, Carolyn?"

It was her turn to hesitate. The whole thing with Dolph was one thing, but what if she told him this wasn't the first time and he decided the amount of crazy she could draw wasn't worth the effort? Eventually she sighed, if he was going to bolt she prefer he do it sooner rather than later.

"There was this guy I had been dating at the time and actually followed me all the way from here to Ohio; name was Kevin. We found a place and moved in together, but after a couple of months things started to get a little rocky and we were always arguing. At first it was just little things, so I simply put it down to him being somewhere new and not knowing anyone whereas I pretty much got along with everyone I was working with, especially Chris; we just clicked, so management had us working together a lot.

"Problem was instead of it being a simple rough patch it slowly got worse. He didn't want me to have anything to do with anyone when I wasn't actually working, and even then he took me doing my job with a huge grain of salt. Then one night we're having this huge screaming match, and I mean blow the damn roof off sort of volume. I said something, I don't remember what, and next thing I know he hit me. Not a backhanded slap or something like that, but a full on punch to the face that ended up breaking my nose. I cut him loose; I wasn't going to put up with crap like that but he wasn't accepting it. He just kept hounding me. I thought I could handle it at first, wasn't the first time I'd been harassed by an asshole, but he just kept getting worse and worse. He wasn't going to stop until Chris finally made him stop."

Christ, she thought she had long since dealt with this already, but the scratching feeling at the back of her throat was saying otherwise. Apart from Chris and a couple of others no-one else knew the story. "I was supposed to meet up with him and a few others for drinks one night but when I didn't show he came looking. When he finally showed up..."

He heard her voice crack a little and she abruptly stopped. He started to feel a little uncomfortable, not knowing how he would be able to deal with the conversation if she actually did break down over the phone. "Hey, it's alright. You don't have to tell me."

She recognised the lifeline for what it was and so desperately wanted to take it but at the same time couldn't. If he wasn't going to be able to handle this, if he wanted to run, then she needed to know now. She didn't want him to, but at the same time would rather have the proverbial armour dented then allow him time to get under it completely for something that would hurt far worse. With no small amount of effort she forced a measure of control over herself. "I'm ok. You wanted to know, so I'm telling you.

"Anyway, Chris shows up to find my place completely trashed and us in the kitchen while Kevin is just losing his damn head. He'd been trying to drag me out the door and into his car, I don't even want to know what would've happened if he had managed to pull that off. When Chris saw what was going on he exploded... You know when you said you'd break Dolph legs?"

"Yeah."

"Well that's exactly what Chris did. Told Kevin if he ever saw him again it would be a lot worse. I never heard from him again after that."

It took Dean a moment to let it all start sinking in; no wonder her personal armour was so formidable. It would be hard to believe that the Carolyn that the world saw could be carrying something like that. That's when he realised something; it wasn't just a test, it was the first tentative extension of real trust made by either side.

"Dean."

"Yes, Princess?"

"... I miss you." _Please don't leave me_.

The raw vulnerability that she was unable to hide hit him hard, "I miss you too."

As the end credits of _The Wolfman_ remake started up Chris glanced up at the ceiling; Carolyn had been up there for almost an hour. Idle curiosity got the better of him so he decided to go check. He found her curled up on one side of her bed fast asleep with phone in hand. Carefully he pried it out from her fingers and placed it on the night stand, then pulled up a blanket that had been folded up near the end of the mattress. Turning the light off as he headed back downstairs and collapsed on the couch. Pulling out his phone he checked his Twitter feed and direct messages when one name in particular jumped out at him.

Dean Ambrose.

* * *

_Ok, I was not expecting that to get as... emotional as it did; the characters just kind of ran away on me for this one._


	23. Chapter 23

Carolyn was so incredibly bored.

She hated being injured, after being adjusted to a life of nearly constant travelling it gave her more time on her hands than she knew what to do with. A little time off for R&R was one thing, being forced into this was another. The ribs were especially a pain, no pun intended, being a restriction on anything overly energetic. They were getting better though, just not fast enough for her impatient liking. To top it off she had spent the past two weeks alone as Chris had finally headed back to the West Coast after his appearances were done with. It made her wish she had a pet of some sort; a dog or cat... hell, even a hamster would be good company right about now. When she got her hands on Dolph, and she swore she would, she vowed to hand him his balls. That was if Ambrose left anything after he was done of course.

The first couple of weeks The Shield held true to their word, stalking and hunting Ziggler at every turn, but it had slowly turned into a series of skirmishes when he had managed to find himself some allies and even out the numbers game. Currently it had become a stalemate, neither side really being able to definitively get one over on the other.

But that wasn't what was currently bothering her. She hadn't meant to dig so far into a part of her past she'd be quite happy to forget even existed. She didn't know whether it was simply her own paranoia or if Dean was now actively avoiding talking to her. They hadn't spoken much since that call and she knew that all of The Shield had been kept incredibly busy, but never the less it was there. It had been a simple thing to ignore with Masters for companionship but now he was gone and she was left to her own devices giving her way to much time to think and not enough in the way of distractions. Christ, why did she have to open her mouth about Chris being there at all? She could have avoided the whole thing.

_Ugh. Enough already._

In an effort to take her mind off things she perused what was on offer on Netflix before deciding to re-watch some episodes of The Walking Dead, hoping that Norman Reedus could provide a good of enough distraction for a few hours at least. It was going fairly well for the first hour and a half when her phone suddenly buzzed with a message notification. She picked it up but didn't recognise the number of the sender before shrugging to herself and opened it anyway. Almost immediately she wished she hadn't.

_True colours, Carol._

There was only one person who really called her that, but the fact that Dolph was actually sending her messages came secondary to the subject matter of the picture attached to it. A surge of anger broke the surface and the cell was sent hurtling towards the wall, chipping the plaster and shattering under the impact. Abruptly she stood up, no longer wanting to be confined inside. Stuffing keys and wallet in her pockets then snatching up the nearest jacket she headed out the door and flagged down the first cab she saw.

* * *

Dean woke up to a pounding in his head and an even louder one at his door. Dragging his ass out of bed with a disgruntled groan he cursed himself for getting way to liberal with the alcohol last night. It had been a while since they had gone out for drinks so he had obviously had more than he should have. He opened the door to find Seth, and the man was far from happy.

"You moronic, idiotic fucking asshole."

"Good morning to you, too." Ambrose grumbled. He didn't need this sort of shit first thing, especially with a hangover, "What the hell is your problem?"

Rollins simply thrust the screen of his cell at him, forcing Dean to look at the image. "After that stunt you pulled on top of the cage at Hell In A Cell... What the fuck were you thinking?"

He rubbed his eyes trying to focus as he took the phone, then froze when he realised what he was looking at. He didn't even remember it but there it was; Ambrose in an intense lip-lock with some petite, pretty young brunette, though he couldn't make out the woman's face. She did seem vaguely familiar for some reason though. He opened his mouth to say something but couldn't find the words, leaving him standing there gaping like a fish stranded on dry land.

"It's all over Twitter," Seth informed him, and with Carolyn's penchant for social media they both knew what that meant. He watched as Dean actually cringed. Cringed! Seth had to admit, that was a new one for Ambrose.

Dean covered his face with his palm, how in the hell was he supposed to fix this? He seriously doubted the 'it's not what it looks like' line would go down well and just open him up to a full dose of that caustic sarcasm she possessed. Just how damn wasted had he gotten last night? Turning on his heel he stalked over to his phone, Rollins coming in and closing the door behind him. He scrolled through his contacts before finding her number and hit call only to have it ring out. Not a good sign. He called again, this time using Seth's phone but ended up with the same result. Jesus, she must really be pissed off if she wouldn't answer Rollin's ID. He left the room with Seth in tow and stopped at Roman's room, the door opening just has he was about to knock.

If Rollins hadn't been happy, Reigns looked like he was resisting the temptation to beat the hell out of him.

He slipped past the big man and snatched up his phone that had been on the bedside table without getting an objection, Roman simply folded his arms across his chest and waited. He bought up her number but paused for a moment; if she wasn't answering her cell when he had called on Seth's phone he doubted she'd answer Roman's either. He cancelled the number and dialled another.

"Hello?"

Thank god for a land line.

"Carolyn-" Abruptly the call went dead; she had hung up on him. _Hello, doghouse. Booking for one please._

"So, scale of one to ten," Roman said as he took his phone back, "How deep in it are you?"

He simply shrugged, he had no way of really knowing while she was all the way in New York and they were currently in Los Angeles.

"Well we do have the next two days free..." Seth let the statement trail off, leaving the obvious implication to hang in the air.

So his choices were unknown purgatory or marching into the potential gates of hell. He glanced between the expecting looks of his two team mates and sighed, there really wasn't a choice at all.

* * *

It had begun to snow by the time Dean stood in front of the old brownstone in the late afternoon. He stood on the spot and fidgeted for a second then shook it off, the sooner he did this the sooner it would be over with, one way or another. It wasn't something that sparked confidence but he forced himself up the steps and rang the doorbell; there was no answer so he rang it again just to be sure. Hell she might not even be home but he had no way of knowing, Carolyn was either not answering her phone for anybody or just not taking it with her. He hated the latter idea, especially after the whole break-in with their room.

When it was clear that either no-one was home or simply wasn't answering the door Dean wondered what to do next. He really didn't want to spend too much time outside, it was damn cold. Once he made up his mind to go back to his hotel for a while and try his luck later he trudged back down to the side-walk, only to all but run right into her. She had a baseball bat slung over her shoulder with a helmet hanging from the end of it, having returned from a trip to the batting cages a few blocks away that had been cut a lot shorter than she would have liked. She really hated her bones right now.

"Ambrose."

Shit, he had been demoted to being addressed by his last name again. Not a good sign. "Hey, Prince-"

"You don't get to call me that," Carolyn snapped, "Not now."

"If you want to chew my ass out that's fine," Dean replied, "But can we do it inside? Unless you want to air this out on the street like Ziggler did." Her grip tightened around the Slugger a little as her eyes narrowed icily and he took a subtle step back out of instinct. An angry woman with a ball bat was not on his list of people to upset. Well, upset even more.

She considered her options for a moment as the snow continued to fall around them absently sucking the inside of one of her cheeks between her teeth. Jaded experience was screaming at her to stop being a dumb-ass, to sever ties and run both from The Shield and from Ambrose. It wouldn't be the first time she would have to climb out of a hole she dug for herself and had no problems flying solo professionally. She ascended the stairs and unlocked the house, pursing her lips a moment, this had the potential to be such a bad idea...

"Come on."

He didn't need to be told twice. It was still thin ice, but it was something he was willing to chance. The bat went back to its spot behind the door and the helmet went on a hat stand to be kept company by a few caps, some embroidered with the familiar Yankees insignia, others the Giants. Shrugging out of her jacket and hanging it over the end of the stair railing they headed down the hall toward the kitchen and he noticed the remnants of her smashed phone sitting on the bench and an unopened box of a brand new one beside it. It explained why she hadn't answered to anyone at least. His attention snapped back to Carolyn as she leaned against the island counter with arms crossed as she glanced at the clock for a second, "You have a minute. Start talking."

Sixty seconds? Was she serious?

"Fifty seconds."

He took a breath and jumped straight in, "Look, I'm not going to insult your intelligence. The simple fact is I was wasted, far more than I should have been. Hell I don't even remember half the night. If I could change it I would, but I can't."

"Let me guess," she cut in, "This is the part where you want to say you're sorry." Her laugh was low but mirthless, she really was beginning to despise that word. She shifted from her spot and slowly began to pace, "I swear sometimes I wish sexual preference really was a choice like religious zealots in all their infinite bigotry like to believe. It seems having two heads is a detriment to the male ability to think." Abruptly she stopped, fists clenching while she began to fight for some semblance of control. God damn emotional attachments ruined everything. "Seriously, Ambrose, if all you wanted was casual sex, then fine. I could live with that. But you don't simply get to walk in and acting like it's... something more. Like you actually fucking give a shit beyond getting your rocks off."

_Ouch_.

"Do you even think I'd even be here if all I wanted from you was a quick, mindless fuck?" He burst out, "I screwed up, I admit that! The only reason I had even gone out in the first place was to shut Roman and Seth up, because according to them I've been a miserable prick since you've been gone." He stalked her until she was back up against the counter again. She was staring up at him with wary caution, it was almost identical to the look that first night when she had taken a swing at him, causing his aggravated frustration to deflate almost instantly. His hands rested on her shoulders, thumbs absently stroking her neck. "God damn it, woman. Why the hell do you think I came all the way across the country to try and fix this?"

Dean bowed his head and squeezed his eyes shut, almost as if the mood had a physical weight that was becoming unbearable as he realised he was terrified. Terrified of his changes in attitude, terrified of what she had managed to stir up in him but, most of all, terrified that she would leave him. Despite all of that however, he didn't want to go back to being that tortured mess that Jon Moxley had been, having to return to that would be one of the biggest hells he could imagine. Taking a breath he forced himself to look her in the eye, he needed her to see, to understand what exactly he was laying on the line; it was make or break.

"I love you, Carolyn."

* * *

_I figured after 22 chapters it was time to stop arsing about and finally get them to this point, so... there it is._


	24. Chapter 24

He was touching her. She didn't want him touching her. He was a liar and this was simply an act. A damn good one, but an act none the less. Pushing his hands off her she slipped around him and backed away. For every step forward he took she retreated two more until he finally got the hint and stopped.

Her reaction started to fuel his own rising panic. She didn't believe him. It was the most honest thing he had ever said and Carolyn didn't believe him. She was going to drop him like a hot rock and that would be the end of it.

"Get out."

"Carolyn-"

"Get. Out," she repeated lowly, "Now."

He started to protest again but she cut him off with a gesture, pointing sharply in the direction of the front door. She couldn't even bring herself to look at him as he stood his ground for a long moment before finally conceding, the door locking itself with a soft click behind him. She stood there for what seemed like an eternity, nothing but the steady tick of the clock trying to fight the otherwise smothering silence. Her fists clenched so hard they started to shake as she battled with the tide of miserable emotions that wanted to break through their confinement. She had absolutely no clue what she should have said or how else to react, the evidence was a complete contradiction to his words. Carolyn had no idea if she could believe him or not.

Eventually she simply sank into one of the seats around the island counter and rested her head against the heels of her palms. Out of the three men of The Shield, why did it had to have been Dean? How was it she always managed to get tangled up with rogues and scoundrels every single time? She wasn't seventeen any more, she was supposed to have outgrown this crap by now. Perhaps she needed her head examined, or have someone follow her around with a rolled up newspaper and smack her on the nose every time she thought about it being a good idea. At this rate the crazy cat lady lifestyle was looking more and more appealing... How much was a starter box of kittens anyway?

With a sigh she reached out for the unopened box and pulled out the new phone, spending the next couple of minutes prying out the cards and battery out of the old one and transferring them over. It wasn't a complicated job by any means but it gave her something to focus on while she set it all up. She was unsurprised by the flood of messages and missed call notifications that had gone unanswered in the past twenty four hours. For someone who considered herself to have only a very small group of real friends she sure as hell was popular right now. Ignoring the majority of them Carolyn only responded to the people of importance to her, assuring them that she was fine, then spent the next few minutes getting caught up in a text conversation with Seth.

_So has he come to see you yet?_

_Yes. I just kicked him out, actually._

_I see... Are you sure you're alright?_

_I've been through worse. Just need a bit of space right now._

_Fair enough. I know I'm going out on a limb here, and it doesn't take away the fact that it was a complete dick move, but please don't be too harsh on him. He really has been one unbearably miserable SOB the past four weeks._

_So his solution is to get smashed and attempt to suck some other woman's face off? How is that an excuse?_

_I'm not saying it is. Just... he loves you, but when it comes to actually expressing himself like that he's, well, an emotional retard._

_I'll keep that in mind. No promises though._

_Good, I'd really hate to lose the second sexiest part of The Shield ;)_

Carolyn couldn't help but laugh a little, trust Rollins to be able to bring a ray of sunshine when she was feeling gloomy. _I play second fiddle to no man, Mister. And what part of no promises wasn't in English?_

_All of it. It's like selective deafness, I only read what I want to._

_Smart ass._

_Please, you know you love me._

_Don't push your luck._

_Yes ma'am. Topic change- how are those old bones of yours?_

_These 'old bones' can still put you on your ass, Junior. Maybe even sooner than you think._

_How soon would be sooner?_

_You'll just have to wait and see..._

* * *

After waiting out the whole two days in New York without success Ambrose left a mix of conflicting emotions. Pride, anger, frustration and dejection clashed, regrouped and clashed again in a never ending dance. He even manned up and told the woman he loved her for Christ sake, what more would he have to do? What did she want from him? That was if she wanted anything at all any more of course. He sighed, feeling resigned; he had a damn good thing going and he blew it because his alcohol infused brain was thinking with the wrong fucking head. As much as he hated it, Dean decided to leave the ball in her court after some convincing by Seth. Despite having days where Rollins could be even more irritating than a five year old in the peak of a sugar rush there was no better person who could play the voice of reason when it was really needed.

He kind of had the feeling that Roman still wanted to mangle him a bit and was a little surprised at just how protective the big Samoan had gotten in the short space of a couple of months. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that it had been Reigns who was the one who laid her out per Triple H's 'request' that night. Idly he wondered how the dynamic would have changed between them if it had been Ambrose himself who had to do the job instead. He shook it off just as fast, Dean really didn't want to go there.

With Christmas madness fast approaching the entire roster was kept busy. Shows, appearances, interviews; anything and everything to encourage people to bust their bank accounts on merchandise and the last PPV of the year, TLC. It annoyed him; not the work load, he was grateful right now for the distraction, but they had barely finished Survivor Series before all this crap started. That and it really wasn't his most favourite holiday of the year either. What was the point of getting into it when you had no siblings and had a rather distant relationship with your parents? He was at the point where he wanted to punch something really hard as yet again his thoughts turned towards New York as it hit him that Carolyn was in a very similar boat. He highly doubted she went the same route he sometimes did by going to some dive of a bar. She was probably more the constructive type, a surprise visit to a children's hospital or something. Or maybe she just did what the Jehovah's Witnesses did and simply ignored the day altogether.

_Stop it. It's pretty damn clear after a fortnight of nothing she's dropped your dumb ass, so why should you even care?_

He knew damn well why and he couldn't do a damn thing to stop thinking otherwise. Especially after finally saying it out loud.

He focused on getting ready for the night's show. As a 'reward' for his part in The Shield's past services rendered, Hunter had granted him a one on one match against Ziggler; although he had a feeling that had more to do with the fact that Raw was in Cincinnati tonight than anything else. The fact that it was no disqualifications suited Ambrose just fine, more than fine, actually. At least he'd be able to get some of that punching he wanted to do out of his system.

Seth and Roman shared a look between each other after glancing at their clearly agitated team mate. They thought he had been miserable before but it was even worse now. At least previously it had been somewhat subdued, now he didn't give a damn who the target of his bad mood was. That's when a thought struck Rollins, perhaps Dean wasn't the only one in the relationship who wasn't exactly great at expressing themselves seriously. He had picked up pretty quickly that Carolyn was damn good masking or repressing whatever she was feeling a good majority of the time, especially when it got personal. He understood her need for space, but two weeks of silence? Something had to give here and soon.

When the time for his match arrived Dean made it pretty clear he wanted to handle this himself, so the other two stayed behind. They settled in to watch the action on a monitor as Ambrose and Ziggler started up the familiar dance they knew so well with each other. As the match looked like it was beginning to reach its end Roman thought he heard a faint click.

"Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Seth asked distractedly as he kept his eyes on the screen. His attention was diverted at the sound of something heavy being dragged around just outside and wondered what it was. He went to turn the knob but it wouldn't budge so he twisted it the other way with the same result. It dawned on him what was going on, this did not spell out anything good for Ambrose. "Shit."

"Move."

As soon as Seth got out of the way Roman charged, his shoulder slamming heavily into a door that wouldn't yield. They were in a sporting arena after all, it stood to reason that things were built to be able to take the abuse of a lot of athletes who may decide to let of steam from a loss or got caught up in the rush of winning. It didn't stop him from trying again however, they needed to get out of there somehow.

* * *

So this was what the three on one numbers game felt like.

They had thrown everything but the kitchen sink at each other; tables, chairs, trash cans, kendo sticks and even a ladder were littered in and around the ring. When the match was over Ambrose had won it using Carolyn's own tiger driver to send a little message of his own. But as soon as the bell rung Ziggler's two cronies had appeared to pick at the bones, so where the hell were Rollins and Reigns to even the numbers? Gritting his teeth Dean fought back against the three on one assault as best he could but after the war he had just gone through he was all but running on fumes. That's when the reprieve finally came. Dressed in tight charcoal grey jeans and heavy black boots adorned with large metal buckles, he couldn't help the smirk as he recognised the black Everlast hooded sweater and the slogan that was printed on the back; _nothing soft comes out of the Bronx_.

R-Truth was the first to try and put down the interloper only to have his arm swing through empty air before he caught a vicious, stiff kick that drove the wind out of him, followed by a few quick shots with a fraying kendo stick that drove him from the ring. Ryder inserted himself into the picture and wrenched the weapon from the hands of Ambrose's defender. He tried to return the favour but his target dropped down before a forearm was thrown directly between his legs and he dropped unceremoniously like a sack of potatoes. With only Ziggler still standing the two faced off; he with a chair and the hooded player reclaiming the kendo stick, flicking it casually with a quick movement of the wrist. He swung but the attack was dodged and retaliation followed, his back earning a few extra angry welts before he too retreated. Dean had managed to pull himself to sit in a corner, watching with a casual, exhausted countenance and waited.

Dolph hovered half way up the ramp wanting to know who it was that had come to Ambrose's aid. Balancing on the middle rope a hand came up to finally pull down the hood, green blue eyes mocking him and his gaping disbelief. She couldn't be here, she wasn't supposed to be back for at least another two weeks. Carolyn pointed at him with the weapon in hand, looking every inch the proverbial she-wolf Dean had labelled her as a month and a half a go. The message was clear; payback would come and it would be a bitch when it hit.

Hopping down from her perch Carolyn's head tilted slightly to one side as she observed Ambrose with an unreadable expression before she finally spoke.

"You stole my finisher."

"Figured since you stole mine it was only fair," Dean replied, "Besides, I had to get your attention somehow."

The kendo stick was dropped and he took the offered hand to get to his feet but she managed to keep him out of her personal space once he was up he noted. Crossing the ring she took his belt from the official and handed it over to the champion. Without argument he followed her as she left and they headed towards the back, discovering a bunch of stuff blockading the door to The Shield's locker room.

"That explains one thing at least," Dean muttered. He couldn't really hold a grudge against them if they couldn't even get out of the room. Though by the sounds of the occasional thump the boys were certainly giving it the good old college try.

"Roman?"

"Carolyn?"

"Yeah, it's me."

Dean gestured to one side of the giant, heavy box that had been shoved in the way while he took the other. With some effort they managed to move it far enough to get to the door. Truth and Ryder must have been in a rush since they had left the set of keys behind sitting in the lock. At least they wouldn't have to spend half the night chasing around someone to open it. As soon as she unlocked it the door was pulled open and Carolyn was lifted off her feet and into a bear hug.

"Roman... Can't... Breathe."

He set her back down and grinned before Seth claimed a hug of his own, though far from the exuberant, air stealing manhandling Reigns had just delivered, "I guess sooner really was soon."

"If I had to stay home another two weeks I would've lost my damn mind."

"I'm not entirely sure you had it all to begin with," he teased, jerking his thumb in the direction of the monitor, "You really do some crazy things sometimes."

"What can I say? The simple life is too dull for me."

Roman noticed the awkward appearance of the US champ looking seemingly sullen as he watched the free flowing exchange between Seth and Carolyn. With a subtle nudge Rollins got the general hint and the pair moved it along without trying to be too obvious, eventually leaving their remaining stable mates alone with each other.

Dean absently wiped away the sweat and blood that was trying to get into his eyes. Somewhere in the match he had started bleeding but knew it looked far worse than it actually was. It didn't escape her notice either and ushered him towards a chair before disappearing into the showers. He heard water running for a brief moment before she returned. Taking his jaw in one hand she titled his head up, cleaning his face with a cool, damp towel. He didn't say anything, didn't even flinch when she gently prodded his torn skin while examining it. Tentatively he rested his hands on the curve of her hips but didn't receive any objections to his touch.

"Go have a shower," she said once she was done, "Just don't take overly long, I'm hungry and we need to talk."


End file.
